The following is the summary of “Comparison between functional lung volume measurement and segment counting for predicting postoperative pulmonary function after pulmonary resection in lung cancer patients,” published in the January 2023 issue of Pulmonary medicine by Fan, et al.

The ability to measure Functional lung volume (FLV) with CT scans was a major step forward in lung imaging and functional assessment. Researchers analyzed the predictive validity of the FLV measuring method vs. the segment-counting (SC) approach in predicting pulmonary function after surgery. Researchers enrolled 113 individuals who had had 2 thoracoscopic procedures. Researchers used the FLV measurement method and the SC approach to predict pulmonary function after surgery. Using linear regression equations between the parameters influencing pulmonary function and the observed values, novel formulas based on the FLV measuring method were constructed.

High concordance was found between the actual postoperative forced vital capacity (postFVC) and the anticipated postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second (ppoFEV1) using the 2 approaches (postFEV1) Results for forced vital capacity (FVC) were [r=0.762, P<0.001 (FLV method) and [r=0.759, P<0.001 (SC method)]; results for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were [r=0.790, P<0.001 (FLV method) and [r=0.795, P<0.001 (SC method)]. Parameters of the pulmonary function evaluated before surgery (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], and the ratio of reduced FLV to preoperative FLV) were substantially linked with and may predict actual postoperative values (all P<0.001). 

These equations [postFVC = 0.8 FVC 0.784 FLV/FLV + 0.283 (R2 = 0.677, RSD = 0.338), postFEV1=0.766 FEV1 0.694 FLV/FLV + 0.22 (R2=0.743, RSD=0.265)] were validated for their ability to predict pulmonary function values after wedge resection. Patients having lung resection surgery can benefit from the new FLV assessment approach, which predicts postoperative pulmonary function more accurately and consistently than the conventional SC method.

Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-022-02299-y