[Mortality differences in lung surgery]

The surgical mortality rate in a total of 1,100 patients with lung cancer was investigated. Since it was found that, in part, mortality extended to beyond 30 days, the differences to be seen on the 50th post-operative day are presented. A considerable negative bias was established for upper, as compared with lower, lobe resection, a negative bias for resection on the right side, and a special negative bias for right-sided pulmonectomy - which, till now, had also been considered to exist for bilobectomy of the lower and middle lobes. It is suggested that these differences be taken into account when assessing operability and preparing surgical statistics.