Abstract: Background and purpose: Sleeve lobectomy is considered an acceptable surgery for patients with central lung cancer, and can preserve more lung functions because of the reservation of the normal lung tissues. It can also be an alternative surgery for patients with cardiac or pulmonary contraindications to pneumonectomy. Methods: In this study, we conducted a retrospective study to examine the safety and efficacy of sleeve lobectomy, particularly in relation with different stages. Results: In the group, the overall survival (OS) rate was 66.92%, and disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 18.4%. Conclusion: Sleeve lobectomy has low mortality and complication rates. It has good preservation of pulmonary function for tumor resection. It can be used as an alternative to pneumonectomy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Key words: Sleeve lobectomy, Overall survival, Disease-free survival