Segmentectomy versus lobectomy: does FEV1.0 change accurately reflect the postoperative cardiopulmonary function?

The postoperative respiratory function has been compared between lobectomy and segmentectomy based on the resting spirometric change in many previous studies. However, spirometric change has only been assessed in static conditions, and it is unclear whether it accurately reflects the cardiopulmonary function.

We used spirometry and a 6-min walk test to evaluate patients who underwent lobectomy and segmentectomy and examined the changes in heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and saturation of percutaneous oxygen (SpO₂) before and after walking between the two groups.

The present study included 24 patients who underwent segmentectomy and 21 who underwent lobectomy. There was no significant difference in the reduction of the median forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1.0) after surgery. In the 6-min walk test, the increase in HR and RR after surgery has no significant differences between lobectomy and segmentectomy (HR: p = 0.372 and RR: p = 0.131). However, the two groups showed a significant difference in the reduction of SpO₂ (p < 0.001). In addition, correlation analysis found that the more the number of resected segments, the more the reduction of SpO₂ with a statistical significance (p = 0.002).

Patients who received segmentectomy showed to suppress the reduction of SpO₂ with a statistical difference after the 6-min walk test in comparison to those who received lobectomy. These results suggest that segmentectomy has less impact on the cardiopulmonary function and the 6-min walk test is useful for evaluating the postoperative cardiopulmonary function.