Preoperative pulmonary evaluation: facts and myths.
This review summarizes recent reports on preoperative pulmonary evaluation focusing on the impact on outcome in thoracic and non-thoracic surgery. Data suggest that hitherto widely accepted pulmonary function tests do not predict perioperative complications. Therefore, they may not be considered alone to decide on the patient's operability. So-called prohibitive lung function parameters should no longer be used to deny a potentially curative lung resection. A more clinically oriented, interdisciplinary approach to severely compromised patients may be best suited to discuss and solve their problems.
Zollinger
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Institute of Anaesthesiology, Triemli City Hospital Zürich, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland. andreas.zollinger@triemli.stzh.ch
Hofer
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Pasch
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