The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon · 1990 · 28 citations · 0 references
MedicineSurgeryCardiothoracic SurgeryPulmonary Function TestingPulmonologyForced Vital CapacityPerfusion ImagingPleural ImagingThoracic SurgeryTissue Perfusion AssessmentLung Function DeclineLung Function TestingLung Perfusion ImagingLung Perfusion ScansPreoperative Lung Function EvaluationPulmonary ScintigraphyVentilation-perfusion ScintigraphyVital Capacity Monitoring
The study presents measurements in spirometry and scintigraphic lung perfusion, before and after decortication, in 9 patients treated for chronic pleural empyema with special emphasis on measuring changes by perfusion scintigraphy. Preoperatively, the average vital capacity (VC) was 60% and the average FEV1 was 65% of the predicted. Perfusion of the affected side showed an average reduction to 22%. After decortication all functional data showed an improvement (average VC 78.5%, average FEV1 79.5%) the percentage of lung perfusion having increased to a mean of 37.8%.