ABSTRACT
Pulmonary and chest wall resection are frequently necessary for the management of benign or malignant thoracic disease. Bronchogenic carcinoma is currently the most frequently occurring malignancy worldwide. Despite advances in chemotherapy regimens, surgical resection remains the only effective cure. In addition, the definitive treatment of benign lung diseases for which medical management has failed to achieve a cure can require resection of involved segments. Such resection may also remove substantial amounts of pulmonary parenchyma, chest wall, or nonvital mediastinal structures. A thorough assessment of the patient and the disease process is crucial before resection is undertaken. Knowledge of associated operative risk, projected loss of pulmonary function, and anticipated recovery time is necessary for a determination of whether the risk is prohibitive. Preoperative attention to detail can optimize the patient’s short-term and longterm recovery. Understanding the extent of resection required for curative treatment and refusing to compromise this goal are also important. Achieving the optimal balance between the risks and benefits of curative resection can be challenging.
