title: Effect of age and preoperative airway obstruction on lung function after coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: To determine whether age or obstructive lung disease affects pulmonary function changes caused by uncomplicated coronary artery bypass grafting, we measured pulmonary function before operation and then 3 or 4 days, 7 days, and 17 +/- 2.2 weeks after operation in elderly patients (age, 74.8 +/- 3.3 years) and patients with obstructive lung disease (ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity, 0.60 +/- 8.8) and compared the results with those of a "normal" group. In all three groups a severe restrictive defect developed on day 3 (vital capacity, 61% +/- 20% of the preoperative value). Vital capacity recovered to 76.4% +/- 18.5% of the preoperative value on day 7. Three months after coronary artery bypass grafting, lung function had recovered to preoperative baseline (p > 0.2). The percent change from baseline in vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, total lung capacity, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was the same in all three groups throughout the study. A severe, reversible restrictive pulmonary function change follows coronary artery bypass grafting. This change is not affected by age or preexisting moderately severe obstructive lung disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester General Hospital, New York 14621.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Swinburne
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fedullo
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shayne
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics