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Influence of Comorbidity on Outcome after Pulmonary Resection in the Elderly

Division of General Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Berne, Berne, Switzerland

For reprint information contact: Morris Beshay, FRCS, Tel: 49 521 7727 7410, Fax: 49 521 7727 7407, Email: morris.beshay{at}evkb.de, Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Evangelic Hospital Bielefeld, 33605 Bielefeld, Germany.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of comorbidity on outcome after pulmonary resection in patients over 75 years old. Three hundred and thirty-three patients with non-small-cell lung cancer operated on between 1998 and 2002 were divided into 3 age groups: < 60 years (group 1), 60–75 years (group 2), > 75 years (group 3). Overall operative mortality was 0.3%; 30-day mortality was 1%. There were more major complications with re-operation in groups 1 and 2, but minor complications occurred significantly more frequently in group 3 (36% vs 16%). Overall mean hospital stay was 12 days, with no significant difference among groups. Three-year survival rates were: 80%, 70%, and 65% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with no significant difference among groups. Age or the presence of comorbidity should not be considered contraindications for lung resection. With proper patient selection and careful preoperative evaluation, many major complications after pneumonectomy are avoidable.