Correlation of preoperative pulmonary function testing with clinical course in patients after pneumonectomy

Postoperative morbidity and mortality were correlated with the preoperative results of three widely used tests of pulmonary function in 90 patients who underwent pneumonectomy for carcinoma of the lung. Factors analyzed following operation included thirty-day mortality, the incidence of arrhythmias, the frequency of respiratory complications, and the number of individuals requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Fourteen patients had a forced vital capacity (FVC) of 70% or less of predicted normal value. Eleven had a one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) of 1.5 liters or less, and 32 had an FEV1 of less than 2 liters. Twenty-six had an FEV1/FVC ratio of 0.6 or less. There were no differences in morbidity or mortality between these individuals and the patients whose test scores exceeded these criteria. As a general rule, decisions regarding operability and extent of resection cannot be made solely on the basis of the three spirometry tests reviewed.