[Complications in patients undergoing pulmonary oncological surgery]

A survey evaluating incidence and risk factors of complications in persons underwent complete open lung resection because of primary or secondary lung malignancy.

Retrospective study of 189 open surgery procedures in 128 males and 61 females, mean age males 61 years (range 21-78), females 64 years (range 33-80) during a five-years period (2003-2007). Data processing and analysis were performed with the statistical software system Statistica and compared by parametres odds ratio a chi2 test.

Complications were divided into five groups. First group was defined as complications in perioperative period and was composed of three events 1.5%: endotracheal tube dysfunction (i.e. 0.5%), heavy cardiac arrhytmia 0.5% and serious haemorrhage, that occurred immediately after operation 0.5%. Second group includes complications within period of 7 days after surgery: prolonged air leak (PAL > 7 days) 7.4%, bronchopneumonia 6.9%, cardiac arrhythmia 6.9%, postoperative delirium 4.2%, atelectasis 2.6%, wound infection 1.1%, bleeding 1.1% and chylothorax 0.5%. Third group contains events between 8th and 30th postoperative days: thoracic empyema 2.1%, dysphonia 2.1%, painfull shoulder 1.1%, alimentary tract infection 0.5% and bronchial closure insufficiency 0.5%. Fourth group contains patients with severe complications, that led to death during 30 days after operation: ischemic stroke 0.5% and pulmonary embolism 0.5%. Patients without any complication formed the fifth group of 60.5%.

Main risk factors for complications in postoperative period after lung resection due to primary or secondary lung malignancy in our group of patients are COPD, corticotherapy, time of operation over 3 hours, BMI over 25, left side tumor localization and bronchoplastic procedure. For cardiac arrhytmia seems to be risk factor pneumonectomy and previous neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy.