Airflow limitation severity and post-operative pulmonary complications following extra-pulmonary surgery in COPD patients

The association between airflow limitation severity and post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) among COPD patients undergoing extra-pulmonary surgery is unknown. We evaluated the association between forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEVUsing prospective cohort of PPC evaluation for extra-pulmonary surgery, we identified 694 COPD patients who conducted PPC evaluation before extra-pulmonary surgery between March 2014 and January 2015 at a tertiary hospital, Seoul, Korea.The overall incidence of PPC was 24.4%. The incidence of PPC in quintiles 1-5 of FEVWe found a progressive and significant relationship between severity of airflow limitation and the incidence of PPC in COPD patients undergoing extra-pulmonary surgery. Furthermore, perioperative bronchodilator use was associated with a reduced risk of respiratory failure and post-operative exacerbations in patients with severe airflow limitation.