Basal segmental auto-transplantation after pneumonectomy for advanced central lung cancer

In patients with central lung cancer that extensively involves the bronchus/pulmonary artery, a double-sleeve lobectomy is often difficult to perform. We describe a case of post-pneumonectomy basal segmental auto-transplantation using a lung preservation technique that uses cold low-potassium dextran glucose solution to protect the lung graft from ischaemia–reperfusion injury during the ex situ division of the segmental graft and the pathological investigations for the clearance of the surgical margins. A right basal segmental auto-transplantation procedure was performed in a patient with stage-IIIA squamous cell lung cancer. This technique could allow extensive pulmonary resection while minimizing the loss of pulmonary reserve.