Lung volume reduction surgery using the NETT selection criteria.

Background: The National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) proved that lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) was safe and effective in patients with certain clinical characteristics and using defined inclusion-exclusion criteria. Based on the selection criteria developed in that trial, we performed bilateral LVRS on 49 patients during the period of February 2004 until May 2009.

Methods: Forty-nine patients underwent lung volume reduction by either median sternotomy (10) or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (39) selected according to NETT described parameters.

Lung-volume reduction surgery for pulmonary emphysema: Improvement in body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity index after 1 year.

Objectives: We hypothesized that lung-volume reduction surgery for pulmonary emphysema would improve body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index, a multidimensional predictor of survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We also aimed to identify preoperative predictors of improvement in the BODE index.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing lung-volume reduction surgery at our center, with the methodology of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial, we compared clinical characteristics before and 1 year after surgery with the Wilcoxon signed rank test.