Lymph Node Dissection Is a Risk Factor for Short-Term Cough after Pulmonary Resection.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Cough is a frequent complication following pulmonary resection surgery.
• Identifying definitive risk factors for post-pulmonary resection cough remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential risk factors for postoperative cough after pulmonary resection.
• To analyze the association between surgical techniques and cough development using validated scoring systems.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 517 patients undergoing pulmonary resection between January 2017 and June 2021.
• Utilized Simplified Cough Score (SCS) and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) to assess cough severity.
• Employed univariate and multivariate analyses to identify independent risk factors.

Main Results:

• Patients experiencing cough had longer operation times and greater blood loss.
• Lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection were associated with higher cough incidence compared to less extensive procedures.
• Lymph node resection method was identified as an independent risk factor (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Lymph node resection is a significant independent risk factor for short-term cough after video-assisted thoracoscopic pulmonary resection.
• Vagus nerve and its branches, particularly pulmonary branches, may be implicated in the mechanism of postoperative cough.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying postoperative cough.