The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 71, 102-109, Copyright © 1976 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Function of lower lung lobe autograft in experimental animals
JJ Rabinovich
The changes in ventilation, gas exchange, blood gases, and acid-base
balance, as well as the compensatory capacity of the autotransplanted lung
lobe, were studied in 30 dogs with an uncomplicated course following
autotransplantation of the lower lobe of the left lung. The studies
demonstrated that in the early postoperative period some deterioration in
ventilation and gas exchange is noted in the autografted lobe which results
in the development of arterial hypoxemia and metabolic acidosis. A
normalization of the ventilation and gas exchange is observed in the
beginning of the late postoperative period (3 months after surgery). As
judged by the functional test with the exclusion of the right (intact) lung
from respiration, the compensatory capacity of the autografter left lower
lobe remained reduced for a long time after surgery. The author noted no
restoration of the Hering- Breuer reflex on the side of the autografted
lung lobe, the maximum follow-up period being 7 1/2 years.