[Diabetes and bleeding in thoracic surgery]

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of diabetes over early postoperative bleeding in thoracic surgical patients. In fact, diabetes leads to hypercoagulation as well as to an alteration of microvessels that could have a negative effect on the retraction and vasoconstriction of the damaged microvessel before hemostasis coagulation phase.

Data referring to 193 typical pneumonectomies associated with extensive removal of mediastinic nodes, 19 performed in diabetic patients have been retrospectively analysed.

Any statistically significant difference between the two groups was found.

More studies would be necessary to confirm our conclusions, on more extensive series of patients with more severe diabetic disease, as well as on non-thoracic surgical patients, in order to avoid the consequences of the early and sudden negative pressure on wounds, that in thoracic patients could hide the effects of less evident factors.