[Thoracic surgery in advanced age. Indications and results with special reference to bronchial cancer].
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.
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Swoboda
L
L
Abteilung Lungenchirurgie, Chirurgische Klinik der Universität Freiburg.
Hasel
U
U
Wertzel
H
H
Berwanger
I
I
Hasse
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D015996:Survival Rate
Thoraxchirurgie im Alter. Indikationsstellung und Resultate unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Bronchialkarzinoms.