Abstract
Aim
Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of 3-dimensional imaging using multidetector row helical computed tomography for preoperative assessment of the branching pattern of the pulmonary artery before complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer.
Methods
Forty-nine consecutive patients with clinical stage I lung cancer scheduled for complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy were evaluated for pulmonary artery branching patterns on 16-channel multidetector row helical computed tomography. Intraoperative finding were compared with the 3-dimensional computed tomography angiography.
Results
According to the intraoperative findings, 95.2% (139/146) of pulmonary artery branches were precisely identified on preoperative computed tomography angiography. All of the 7 undetected branches were less than 2 mm in diameter. No patient needed conversion to an open thoracotomy because of intraoperative bleeding.
Conclusion
Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography clearly revealed individual anatomies of the pulmonary artery and could play an important role in safely facilitating complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy. However, we were unable to detect several thin branches with this technique.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.