Long-term lung function in children following lobectomy for congenital lung malformation

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To date, the optimal management of asymptomatic congenital lung malformations (CLMs) is still debated. There is still scant and controversial information regarding the long-term assessment of pulmonary function (PF) after lobectomy in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate PF in children who underwent lobectomy for CLM in infancy, hypothesizing that patients operated during the first year of life retain a normal lung function. METHODS: Children operated between 2005 and 2016 at our institution underwent PF evaluation through spirometry/whole-body plethysmography, forced oscillation technique, and multiple-breath inert gas wash-out. RESULTS: Out of 85 patients who underwent lobectomy at a median age of 5months, 50 met the inclusion criteria, and 28 patients were tested. More than 80% of patients had normal FEV1 and FVC. The mean FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75% values were higher in the patients operated before reaching one year of age. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term outcome after lobectomy was excellent for most patients, as they retained a normal long-term PF. Therefore, for asymptomatic patients, a surgical approach before one year of age to avoid complications such as malignancy and to ensure an optimal PF catch-up could be beneficial.