Objective: We analyze the safety and efficacy of one-stage bilateral pulmonary resections for pulmonary metastases via a bilateral approach.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 154 cases with pathologically verified pulmonary metastases which underwent curative pulmonary resection. Intraoperative and perioperative variables were evaluated.
Results: One hundred and thirty cases underwent unilateral pulmonary metastasectomy (group U), and the other 24 cases with bilateral pulmonary metastases underwent one-stage bilateral pulmonary resections (group B). Operation time in group B was significantly longer than in group U (354 ± 132 vs. 203 ± 110 min; p < 0.001), but was not longer than double that in group U (407 ± 219 min; p = 0.540). Operative blood loss was not significantly greater in group B than group U (113 ± 158 vs. 76 ± 138 ml; p = 0.069). Neither duration of postoperative hospital stay nor incidence of postoperative complications differed between the two groups. Hospitalization costs in group B were significantly greater than in group U (257 ± 120 × 10(4) vs. 168 ± 69.2 × 10(4) yen; p < 0.001), but they were significantly less than double those in group U (336 ± 138 × 10(4) yen; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: We consider one-stage bilateral pulmonary metastasectomy to be safe for bilateral pulmonary metastases. Moreover, it may offer an economic benefit by avoiding the expenses associated with a two-stage operation.