title: Is age over 70 years a risk factor for pneumonectomy?
abstract: The lengthening of life expectancy has led to more surgical procedures in elderly patients. The aim of this work was to determine whether age >70 years is a risk factor for pneumonectomy. All cases of pneumonectomy from January 1999 to December 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. The 40 patients aged >70 years were compared with a group of 70 patients aged 40-68 years matched for sex, physical status, respiratory function, side of pneumonectomy, and pathologic stage. Postoperatively, significantly more older patients had atrial fibrillation (24% vs. 5.6%). There was a low incidence of respiratory complications in both groups, and reduced respiratory function did not increase respiratory morbidity. Thirty-day mortality was not significantly different (2.5% in older vs. 1.4% in younger patients), but long-term mortality rates evaluated at December 31, 2007 were 50% for those aged <70 years (35 patients) and 72.5% for the older group. Although age is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in pneumonectomy, the risk is acceptable.
authors: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Department, Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, 42100, Reggio Emilia, Italy. joanna@ppukm.ukm.my
authors: Valerio
authors: V
authors: Annessi
authors: Massimiliano
authors: M
authors: Paci
authors: Tommaso
authors: T
authors: Ricchetti
authors: Guglielmo
authors: G
authors: Ferrari
authors: Debora
authors: D
authors: Formisano
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Sgarbi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000453:epidemiology; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide