Volume Reduction Surgery-To the Editor

As centers establish inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients with COPD considering volume reduction surgery, many are relying on the material by Cooper and Trulock 1 Cooper JD Trulock EP Triantafillou AN Bilateral pneumectomy (volume reduction) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Thoracic Cardiovasc Surg. 1995; 109: 106-119 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (891) Google Scholar and The Washington University School of Medicine guidelines 2 Lefrak SS. Selection for LVRS: lung volume reduction surgery for chronic airflow obstruction: patient selection. Montreal Washington University School of Medicine Annual Symposium June 15–16 1995 Google Scholar as a benchmark. Centers are tending to select only patients with reasonable pulmonary function (FEV1 >20% pred) and exclude patients who retain carbon dioxide (PaCO2 >55).