Chest x-rays before ophthalmic surgery

We retrospectively reviewed clinical records and preoperative chest x-ray films of 636 patients who had been admitted for ophthalmic surgery in 1990 and 1991. In our hospital, a preoperative chest roentgenogram routinely was examined for each patient. A total of 228 patients (35.8%) had an abnormal preoperative result. These abnormalities were more frequent in patients older than 40 years of age than in younger patients. Pulmonary fibrosis and calcification were the most common abnormal findings. Also, we noted that 202 patients (31.8%) had a chronic, previously known, or suspected, finding, and 26 patients (4.1%) had a new or unsuspected finding. The surgery was postponed or canceled in five patients (0.8%) because of the abnormal x-ray results.