Surgical outcome of pulmonary artery reconstruction using the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch in patients with lung cancer

Purpose Pulmonary artery reconstruction is sometimes utilized as an alternative to pneumonectomy in lung cancer surgery. We herein report our experience of pulmonary artery reconstruction using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) patch based on the surgical results and long-term outcome. Methods Clinical records of lung cancer patients who underwent patch plasty were reviewed retrospectively. Results Between 2003 and 2017, pulmonary artery patch plasty were performed in 21 patients [18 males, 3 females; mean age 65 (range 47–79) years]. Induction chemoradiotherapy was performed in three patients. Bronchoplasty was performed in five patients. The pathologic stages were stage I in 3 patients, stage II in 6 and stage III in 12. Pneumonectomy, lobectomy and segmentectomy were performed in 2, 18 and 1 patient, respectively. The left upper lobe was the most frequent origin of lung cancer (15 patients). There was no reconstruction-related morbidity or mortality. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 64.1% with a mean follow-up of 39.5 months, and the survival rates for N0–1 and N2–3 were 80.8% and 28.6%, respectively. Conclusion Patch angioplasty using the ePTFE sheet is a reliable procedure in radical surgery for lung cancer.