Partial Sleeve Lobectomy Preserving the Upper Lobe Bronchial Artery in Left Lower Lobe Lung Cancer.

Abstract

Bronchial sleeve resections are performed in lung malignancies involving major airways. Key to smooth healing of the anastomosis is an optimal vascularization. Many techniques have been proposed for anastomosis protection and revascularization; the preservation of the bronchial artery has not been considered, however. We present a modification of a partial sleeve left lower lobe resection in which we preserve the left upper bronchus artery by leaving the dorsal wall between the main and the left upper lobe bronchus intact, thus maintaining a physiologic vascularization to the anastomosis.