Gain and subsequent loss of lung function after lung volume reduction surgery in cases of severe emphysema with different morphologic patterns.

Objective: Surgical lung volume reduction improves lung function and dyspnea in advanced emphysema to a variable degree. Because long-term results with this procedure are scant, we prospectively investigated lung function over several years after lung volume reduction surgery with regard to emphysema morphology.

Methods: Bilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery was performed in severely symptomatic patients with marked hyperinflation caused by advanced nonbullous emphysema.