Title: Bronchovascular sleeve resection for lung cancer: Reply
Abstract: I thank Dr Tunçozgur and associates for their interest in our work. They bring up an interesting case and an important contribution in the field of pulmonary artery reconstruction. Thrombosis at the suture line is a complication that may occur, and its incidence can be minimized by appropriate anticoagulation and accurate manipulation of the arterial stumps. It happened one time in our experience as a consequence of a well-identified technical error [1Rendina E.A. Venuta F. De Giacomo T. et al.Sleeve resection and prosthetic reconstruction of the pulmonary artery for lung cancer.Ann Thorac Surg. 1999; 68: 995-1001Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (112) Google Scholar]. I, however, disagree on the cause/effect relationship between infiltration of the intima of the pulmonary artery, and metastatic dissemination. If that was the case, many pneumonectomy and even lobectomy specimens where the pulmonary artery is infiltrated should present the same findings. Parenchymal seeding is, on the contrary, a very rare occurrence in this setting.