Reoperative Pulmonary Metastasectomy

Recurrent pulmonary metastasis after initial pulmonary metastasectomy is common and poses a clinical dilemma. Reoperative pulmonary metastasectomy is an option that in select patients has been shown to be safe and technically feasible resulting in encouraging survival results from non-randomized retrospective studies. As with metastasectomy in general, there is ongoing debate if observed benefit of repeat pulmonary resection is a result of surgery or a reflection of selection bias. This review summarizes available evidence regarding reoperative pulmonary metastasectomy, discusses selection bias, and outlines future directions in the context of our evolving understanding of the oligometastatic state.