Lung volume reduction surgery: an overview.

Lung volume reduction surgery, originally used in the 1950s, has reemerged as a technique that may help some individuals with end-stage emphysema breathe more easily. The goal of the surgery is to enhance elastic recoil of the lung and to restore diaphragmatic function. The surgery is still in the experimental stages, but early outcome data are encouraging. The purpose of this study was to discuss the pathology of emphysema and the rationale for lung volume reduction. The patient selection criteria for the operation are discussed, and information is provided regarding the preoperative and postoperative management and rehabilitation of these patients by physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists.