To investigate the feasibility and superiority of pulmonary artery reconstruction by artificial blood vessels in treatment of central bronchogenic carcinoma with pulmonary artery stem involvement.

The data of 32 cases of central bronchogenic carcinoma with pulmonary artery stem involvement hospitalized in Department of Thoracic Surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between January 2001 and February 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative pathological examinations indicated that there were 12 cases in stage Ⅲa, 19 cases in Ⅲb and 1 case in stage Ⅳ. All patients received pulmonary artery reconstruction by artificial blood vessels. The feasibility, technique and superiority of the procedure were summarized.

Among these 32 cases, no postoperative death occurred, 31 cases discharged 7 to 10 d after operation, and the other 1 discharged 20 d after operation due to postoperative bronchopleural fistula. Patients were followed up as long as 3 years, and no thrombosis and blood flow obstruction was found in the reconstructed artificial blood vessels. The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year postoperative local recurrence rates were 6.3%, 9.4% and 3.1%, respectively, and the 1-year, 2-year and 3-year postoperative metastasis rates were 6.1%, 6.3% and 6.3%, respectively. In these 32 cases, there were 22 cases of squamous carcinoma and 10 cases of adenocarcinoma, and there was no significant difference in 1-year, 2-year and 3-year survival rates between these two groups(χ²=6.48, P=0.15; χ²=7.82, P=0.11; χ²=6.76, P=0.12).

Pulmonary artery reconstruction by artificial blood vessels can reduce the incidence of total pneumonectomy for central bronchogenic carcinoma with pulmonary artery stem involvement, and can reserve the healthy lobe of lung. This procedure may yield better therapeutic effects, and significantly decrease the surgical trauma.