Lung Volume Reduction Surgery

In the late 1950s, Brantigan (1–4) proposed that the removal of lung tissue would increase the circumferential pull on small airways and thereby relieve bronchial obstruction and dyspnea. He proceeded through a posterolateral thoracotomy. Although many of his patients reported symptomatic benefit, he made no attempt to document improvements in lung function. Because of this and a perioperative mortality rate of 18%, the Brantigan procedure was not widely accepted and the concept was viewed as ill-conceived by leading authorities of the time (5) . Limited interest in Brantigan’ s ideas persisted until the mid-1970s. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.