Bullectomy

Bullectomy is a surgical procedure that removes bullae, abnormal dilated air spaces that form in damaged lung tissue, most often as a consequence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema. It is recommended for patients whose giant bullae have grown large enough to fill roughly half the chest cavity and compress the healthier lung tissue around them, and it is also used to treat severe breathlessness, repeated lung infections, and spontaneous collapse of the lung. The size of the bullae relative to the lungs remaining ventilating capacity is the key factor doctors weigh when deciding whether a patient will benefit, and surgeons generally look for a forced expiratory volume in one second above 40 percent, together with favorable regional ventilation, before recommending the operation.