Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 54, Issue 4 1018-1024, Copyright © 1983 by American Physiological Society
Regional lung function in erect humans after lobectomy
J. A. Fleetham, H. Clarke and N. R. Anthonisen
By using the 133Xe technique, we studied five erect adult subjects who had
undergone lobectomy at least 2 mo previously and were otherwise normal, to
allow comparison between operated and unoperated lungs; four subjects had
undergone upper lobectomy, and one had undergone lower lobectomy. In
addition we studied a sixth subject who had undergone lower lobectomy and
had residual disease in the contralateral lung, and results from the
diseased lung were discarded. At the same overall volume, lungs that had
undergone lobectomy were more expanded than contralateral control lungs,
and their washout half times were prolonged more than could be accounted
for by their increased functional residual capacity-to-total lung capacity
ratio. In subjects with upper lobectomy, apex-to-base gradients of regional
lung volume were normal on the operated side when lung expansion was
accounted for. In subjects with lower lobectomy, apex-to-base volume
gradients were reduced on the side that had undergone resection, suggesting
relative overexpansion of basal regions. These interpretations were
supported by distributions of regional washout half times and of boluses
inhaled at residual volume. We interpreted these results as indicating that
both lung weight and lung-chest wall shape interaction determine the
distribution of regional lung volumes.
