The Role of Predictors in Thoracic Surgery

If your VO2 max is greater than 15, you're pretty good. If it's in between 10 to 20, then of course there are other predictors that must be taken into account. So what if a patient has poor predictors? Their predicted post-op DLCO and FEV1 are low,. Do they have any options? There's a surgery called lung volume reduction surgery or LVRS. And for someone with such bad emphysema that they may not survive traditional lobectomy, if they have the lobectomy and this lung volume Reduction surgery, they actually may improve their lung function even from their baseline afterwards.