Pneumonectomy for lung cancer

Pneumonectomy is associated with an increased risk of mortality compared with lobectomy or sublobar resections. Despite advancements in thoracic surgery and perioperative management, complete removal of a lung can still represent a challenge for both the surgeon and the patient. Currently, parenchymal-sparing pulmonary resections have equivalent oncologic results to pneumonectomy and therefore, when possible, are favored. However, there are circumstances in which pneumonectomy remains the best oncologic procedure for the patient. Thorough preoperative workup and aggressive postoperative management are mandatory to optimize recovery. In this paper, we review pneumonectomy-related preoperative evaluation, operative techniques, and postoperative management.