Partial resection was performed by using Nd-YAG laser on 22 cases of the lung and mediastinal diseases including 13 primary lung cancers, 4 metastatic lung tumors, 3 mediastinal tumors, 1 tuberculosis, and 1 hamartoma. Ages varied from 20 to 76 years old with an average of 58.9 years old and ratio of male to female was 9:13.
In the partial resection with Nd-YAG laser, the contact type probe was used for cutting the normal lung tissue lcm distant from the lesion with an energy of 20-25W, and non contact type probe was used for tissue consolidation and hemostasis with an energy of 30-50W on the resected site of the normal lung. Blood vessel or bronchi more than 1mm in diameter were sutured in central side.
Postoperative hemorrhage were not recognized in all cases. Air leakage was disappeared within 2 days, in 18 or 22 cases, but continued more than 5 days in 2 cases because of severe emphysematous change of the lung and less irradiation enerty of Nd-YAG laser compared with wide resected field. Viseral pleura had to be sutured in such cases with severe emphysema. Tumor recurrences were not recognized in all cases 5 to 18 months postoperatively.
We considered Nd-YAG laser is one of the evaluable method in the partial resection of the lung.