Management of the patient with emphysema, coronary artery disease, and lung cancer

Coronary artery disease, emphysema, and lung cancer often occur together and have cigarette smoking as a common etiologic contributor. The management of the patient with lung cancer, coronary artery disease, and emphysema is complex. The patient with significant coronary artery disease should undergo coronary artery bypass before or concurrently with pulmonary resection. Only proven carcinomas should be resected at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting because immunosuppression secondary to cardiopulmonary bypass can result in the life-threatening spread of fungal or other infections if biopsy is performed at the time of cardiopulmonary bypass. The risk of pulmonary resection is increased in the patient with emphysema because of decreased efficiency of the lungs and chest wall. Likewise, emphysema results in greater risk in the patient with coronary artery disease because of increased demands on the heart.