Precision cautery excision of pulmonary lesions.

We have used a cautery dissection technique, initially described by Perelman, to facilitate nonanatomical pulmonary resections in certain instances in which the anatomical location of the lesion made wedge excision by standard methods difficult or impossible. With the precision cautery technique, the raw surface of the lung is left charred and allows minimum or no air leakage following the procedure. We have found this method a useful addition to existing techniques for pulmonary resection.