Physiologic basis of preliminary venous ligation in the surgery of pulmonary neoplasms

The effect of pulmonary venous ligation on pulmonary artery flow to the ligated segment of lung has been determined both in the laboratory and clinically. The studies indicate that pulmonary arterial flow to a venous ligated segment of lung ceases almost immediately with the application of venous occlusion. The possible importance of this fact as it applies to intraoperative control of hematogenous metastasis from carcinoma of the lung is discussed.