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[Thoracic surgery in advanced age. Indications and results with special reference to bronchial cancer]
L Swoboda1, U Hasel, H Wertzel
1Abteilung Lungenchirurgie, Chirurgische Klinik der Universität Freiburg.
Background:
As the life expectancy in the general population increases, a constant rise in the number of patients of advanced age undergoing thoracic surgery is also observed.
Major Topics Discussed:
Among the indications for operations on the chest, malignant diseases head the list. Thanks to advances in anesthesia, intensive care and surgical techniques, the peri-operative mortality rate in this age group has been appreciably reduced in recent years. In our own patient material, the relevant figure was 4.37%, and is thus in the lower range of internationally comparable mortality associated with major oncological operations on the chest.
Conclusion:
Patients in their seventies or eighties should not be denied thoracic surgery for age reasons; the decisive factors are the general level of activity of the patient and his/her motivation.