Factors related to outcome after pneumonectomy: Retrospective study of 62 patients

Objective: To find out which risk factors affect outcome after pneumonectom y. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Teaching hospital, The Netherlands. Subjects: 62 patients who were treated for bronchial cancer by pneumonectom y between 1984 and 1995. Main outcome measure: Hospital mortality and postoperative complications. Results: Hospital mortality increased with age, being 5/51 (10%) in the 40- 69 age group and 4/11 (36%) in patients aged 70 or more. In the American So ciety of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I group hospital mortality was 8% (2 /26), in class II 12% (3/26) and in class III 40% (4/10). Hospital mortalit y was highest when the FEV1:FVC-ratio was below 55%. Cardiac arrhythmias de veloped in 8 (13%), early bronchopleural fistulas in 7 (11%), and postpneum onectomy syndrome in 5 (8%). These major complications had a high mortality . Conclusion: Respiratory function, ASA class, and age over 70 years are the main prognostic factors for hospital morbidity and mortality after pneumone ctomy.