[Preoperative evaluation of patients with disturbed respiratory functions]

It is difficult to predict the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications. We analyzed correlation between postoperative pulmonary complications and pre-operative pulmonary functions in patients with severely disturbed respiratory functions; i.e. %VC of under 50% or FEV1% of under 50%, for the past 6 years. Pulmonary complications developed in 15 of the 137 patients studied (10.9%). Of the 108 patients with preoperative %VC of under 50%, pulmonary complications developed in 7 patients (6.5%). Of the 29 patients with preoperative FEV1% under 50%, pulmonary complications developed in 8 patients (27.5%). We found that postoperative pulmonary complications correlate well with preoperative FEV1%.