[Age and pulmonary function testing in predicting postoperative morbidity after thoracic surgery].

In order to evaluate whether age and pulmonary function testing may predict postoperative morbidity and mortality in the patients having received thoracic surgery, 203 patients were included in this study. Spirometry, flow volume curve, lung volume determination and arterial blood gas analysis were performed in all of them. Postoperative complications were classified into respiratory complications including pneumonia, purulent bronchitis, atelectasis, respiratory failure and so on; and non-respiratory complications including subcutaneous emphysema, internal bleeding, stump leakage, dysarrythmia and so on. Of the 117 patients over 65 years of age, 27 (23.1%) had postoperative respiratory complications, 27 (23.1%) had non-respiratory complications, and 7 (5.93%) expired postoperatively. Of the 86 patients under 65 years of age, 21 (24.4%) had postoperative respiratory complications and 9 (7.6%) had postoperative non-respiratory complications, but one expired. The incidences of postoperative mortality and non-respiratory complications were both higher in the patients over 65 years of age (p less than 0.05). Our results indicated that age is a risk factor of thoracic surgery, even if the pulmonary function testing meet the surgical criteria.