Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Robotic-assisted Left Pneumonectomy For Vanishing Lung Syndrome
Published on: January 23, 2026
Morbidity and mortality after pneumonectomy in smokers with NSCLC
Andreas Kirschbaum1, Thomas Kyriss, Jürgen Dippon
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Center for Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery, Schillerhöhe Hospital and Robert Bosch Hospital, Gerlingen, Deutschland.
Objective:
Perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients receiving pneumonectomy because of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains quite high. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors to minimize perioperative mortality and morbidity.
Patients And Method:
The results of 156 Patients who received pneumonectomy between 1995 and 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. All patients had stage I or II NSCLC. In 81 cases a right sided and in 75 a left sided pneumonectomy was performed. Cardiopulmonary function tests were sufficient for pneumonectomy.
Results:
Overall perioperative 30-day mortality was 7.1% (n=11), in hospital mortality 8.3% (n=13). The cause was sepsis in 6 cases, cardiac failure in 4 cases, and respiratory insufficiency in 3 cases. In univariable and multivariable regression analysis considering mortality, none of the prognostic factors reached significance. The odds ratio for postoperative death was 1.6 fold for smokers in comparison to non smokers. Complications after pneumonectomy were seen in 34.6%, with arrhythmia in 16.0%, sepsis in 1.9% and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) occurring in 6.4%. Smoking and intraoperative blood loss >500 ml were highly significant perioperative risk factors.
Conclusion:
Smoking until operation and intraoperative blood loss were independent postoperative risk factors leading to complications after pneumonectomy for NSCLC. The risk for complications was 2.8-fold higher for smokers.
Related Concept Videos
Pneumothorax II: Pathophysiology
Pneumothorax-II
Clinical Manifestations:
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...