[Postoperative complications in radically operated patients with non-small cell lung cancer].
CONCLUSIONS
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Despite the advances in medicine only 22% of the patients with lung cancer are candidates for radical operative treatment. Postoperative complications and mortality remain relatively high.


METHODS
We present 320 patients, operated in our clinic for the period 2001-2005. 136 patients underwent lobectomy, 158--pulmonectomy, 22--bilobectomy, and 4--wedge resection.


RESULTS
Postoperative complications occurred in 63 (19,61%) patients. Nine deaths (2,81%) occurred within 10 days after the operation. Five patients (1,56%) developed bronchopleural fistula. We observed inflammatory pulmonary complications in 14 (4,37%), atelectasis in 26 (8,12%), postoperative empyema in 6 (1,87%), and wound infection in 3 (0,93%) patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The postoperative complications in radically operated patients with lung cancer remain relatively frequent. Precise preoperative evaluation and assessment of the patients are crucial to lower the risk of postoperative complications.
Uchikov
A
A
Dimitrov
I
I
Batashki
I
I
Todorov
B
B
Paskalev
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology