Left sleeve lobectomy versus left pneumonectomy for the management of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted to compare the outcomes of sleeve lobectomy (SL) and pneumonectomy (PN) for management of the left lung in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: One hundred and thirty‐five patients who underwent left SL (n = 87) or left PN (n = 48) for NSCLC from January 2006 to December 2011 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Left SL was performed when technically possible. The clinicopathological features and treatment outcomes in both groups were compared. Survival was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and significant differences were calculated using the log‐rank test. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model to analyze significant variables associated with the outcomes of left SL. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in general clinicopathological features (age, gender, lymph node metastasis, pathological stage, and complications of bronchial fistula) between patients who underwent left SL and left PN. The operation duration was markedly longer and the extent of bleeding was greater for left SL than left PN; however patients who underwent left SL achieved significantly longer overall survival than patients who underwent left PN. The outcomes of left SL were only associated with pathological stage. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that left SL may offer superior survival than left PN in selected patients. If anatomically feasible, left SL may be a preferred alternative to left PN for NSCLC patients. Pathological stage is an important factor to determine the outcome of SL.