Preoperative and Postoperative Spirometry in Patients Undergoing Lobectomy for Sequelae of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

Objective: To assess preoperative and postoperative spirometry values in patients undergoing lobectomy for sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis. Method: A total of 20 patients (10 males) with history of treatment for tuberculosis and presenting with symptomatic sequelae (repeat infection or hemoptysis) who sought assistance at the chest surgery outpatient clinic between 11.09.07 and 04.02.10, were selected for the study. Only patients that met theeligibility criteria (symptomatic, submitted to tuberculosis treatment) were included in the study. The age of patients ranged from 15 to 56 years (mean: 35.75 years). The average treatment time for tuberculosis was 6 months and onset of symptoms occurred between 01 and 32 years after treatment. To assess the impact of surgery on the variables VC, FVC, FEV 1 , FEV 1 /FVC, FEF and PEF preoperative values were compared with postoperative values at 1 st , 3 rd , 6 th and 12 th month using the paired t test. The level of significance (α) applied for all tests was 5% where a value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: 11 patients were treated because of recurrent infections and 9 because of haemoptysis. The most common lobectomy was right upper lobectomy (7 patients), followed by left upper lobectomy (6 patients), left lower lobectomy (6 patients), and right middle lobectomy (1 patient). There were no postoperative complications. There was no postoperative mortality. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that, at the 12 th postoperative month, spirometric parameters of patients with tuberculosis sequelae submitted to lobectomy had returned to preoperative levels.