Preoperative pulmonary evaluation

Factors related to risk of perioperative pulmonary complications include site of incision, obstructive lung disease, prolonged anesthesia time, smoking history with productive cough, and obesity. Hypercapnia is a consistent indicator of high risk. There is no difference between spinal and general anesthesia with regard to risk of pulmonary complications. In patients being evaluated for lung resection, high-risk indicators include predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in one second of less than 1000 mL, hypercapnia, severe dyspnea on exertion, or advanced age when it is associated with advanced cardiopulmonary disease. Newer methods of assessing cardiopulmonary reserve may prove useful in identifying which patients with one or more of these risk factors are suitable operative candidates. Prevention of postoperative complications in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients should begin in the preoperative period with discontinuation of smoking at least eight weeks before surgery and vigorous pulmonary toilet in the 48 to 72 hours before surgery. Prophylactic lung expansion maneuvers can be effective in decreasing the incidence of postoperative atelectasis in high-risk patients undergoing high-risk operations.     

Preoperative evaluation and indications for pulmonary metastasectomy

Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) is an established treatment that can provide improved long-term survival for patients with metastatic tumor(s) in the lung. In the current era, where treatment options other than PM such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), immunotherapy, and molecular-targeted therapy are available, thoracic surgeons should review the approach to the preoperative evaluation and the indications. Preoperative evaluation consists of history and physical examinations, physiological tests, and radiological examinations. Radiological examinations serve to identify the differential diagnosis of the pulmonary nodules, evaluate their precise number, location, and features, and search for extra thoracic metastases. The indication of PM should be considered from both physiological and oncological points of view. The general criteria for PM are as follows; (I) the patient has a good general condition, (II) the primary malignancy is controlled, (III) there is no other extrapulmonary metastases, and (IV) the pulmonary lesion(s) are thought to be completely resectable. In addition to the general eligibility criteria of PM, prognostic factors of each tumor type should be considered when deciding the indication for PM. When patients have multiple poor prognostic factors and/or a short disease-free interval (DFI), thoracic surgeons should not hesitate to observe the patient for a certain period before deciding on the indication for PM. A multidisciplinary discussion is needed in order to decide the indication for PM.     

Preoperative evaluation of the patient with pulmonary disease

Preoperative pulmonary evaluation is important in the management of patients with lung disease who are undergoing elective cardiothoracic or noncardiothoracic surgery. In some instances, preoperative pulmonary evaluations may also contribute to the management of patients being considered for urgent surgery. The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) is high and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, and prolonged hospital stays. Perioperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective noncardiothoracic surgery can be more accurately predicted than in patients undergoing elective cardiothoracic surgery. Effective strategies to prevent complications in the postoperative period are few. Incentive spirometry and continuous positive airway pressure are the only modalities of proven benefit. Identifying patients who are at risk for the development of PPCs and managing their underlying modifiable risk factors aggressively prior to surgery is essential.     

Preoperative risk evaluation in beating-heart coronary artery bypass surgery

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Operative risk stratification scales for use in cardiac surgery have been developed for patients who undergo procedures using extracorporeal circulation. The aims of the present study were to investigate the use of six preoperative risk stratification scales in patients undergoing beating-heart surgery and to identify risk factors for major complications and mortality in our group of patients who underwent revascularization using this approach. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Between January 1997 and December 2002, we performed 762 coronary artery bypass operations on the beating heart; 61 patients suffered major complications (8%) and 25 died (3.3%). Risk factors for major complications and death were identified using logistic regression analysis of prospectively collected data. The following risk scores were calculated for each patient: Parsonnet 95, Parsonnet 97, Euroscore, Cleveland, Ontario, and French. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the ability of each scale to predict mortality and major complications. RESULTS: In our patient group, the preoperative variables associated with increased risk were: need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, renal dysfunction, peripheral vasculopathy, and the presence of severe left main coronary artery disease, three-vessel disease, or an impaired ejection fraction. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality and major complications were best predicted by the Parsonnet 95 and Euroscore scales.     

Preoperative evaluation: the assessment and management of surgical risk

The online version of the original article can be found at     

Preoperative evaluation of digital subtraction pulmonary angiography in primary lung cancer

The preoperative evaluation of the resectability for primary lung cancer was studied by using digital subtraction pulmonary angiography (DSA-PAG). Thirty operative cases with primary lung cancer performed DSA-PAG as preoperative test at random for 3 years from June 1985 were subjected in this study. The apparatus used is DSA device (Angiotoron) of a product of Siemens Co., Ltd. The findings obtained by DSA-PAG were retrospectively studied according to the surgical findings, operative modes and postoperative histopathological findings. Moreover, at the same time, usefulness of DSA-PAG was evaluated comparing its findings with preoperative enhanced CT interpretation. The useful findings were obtained in 10 cases of 30 cases (33%). Its contents were 2 cases with invasion of the left atrium, 2 cases with invasion of superior and inferior pulmonary vein, 5 cases with invasion of truncus pulmonary artery and 1 case with interlobar invasion. The findings in all cases were superior to those obtained by the enhanced CT. The decision of operative modes confirming invasion of tumor or metastatic lymph node is one of the important aims of the preoperative test. DSA-PAG can be carried out simply and safely on out-patient basis, additionally, favorable result can be especially obtained in invasion lesions of blood vessels of hilus regions. From the result, informations of regions unknown by preoperative CT were accurately obtained. As a rule, DSA-PAG should be performed by the preoperative routine test of primary lung cancer.     

Lung cancer: Preoperative pulmonary evaluation of the lung resection candidate

Lung resection provides the best chance of cure for individuals with early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Naturally, lung resection will lead to a decrease in lung function. The population that develops lung cancer often has concomitant lung disease and a reduced ability to tolerate further losses in lung function. The goal of the preoperative pulmonary assessment of individuals with resectable lung cancer is to identify those individuals whose short- and long-term morbidity and mortality would be unacceptably high if surgical resection were to occur. Pulmonary function measures such as the forced expiratory volume in 1 second and the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide are useful predictors of postoperative outcome. In situations in which lung function is not normal, the prediction of postoperative lung function from preoperative results and the assessment of exercise capacity can be performed to further clarify risks. Published guidelines help to direct the order of testing, permitting us to offer resection to as many patients as possible.     

Preoperative pulmonary update

Postoperative pulmonary complications are an important source of surgical morbidity. In this paper, the authors review recent studies that shed light on emerging risk factors, a multifactorial index for respiratory failure, and the value of specific risk reduction strategies. Novel risk factors include advanced age, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. Important risk reduction strategies include postoperative lung expansion maneuvers, the selective use of nasogastric tubes, epidural analgesia, and inspiratory muscle training.     

Preoperative risk factors for prolonged postoperative ileus after colorectal resection

Purpose

Prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) after colorectal resection significantly impacts patients’ recovery and hospital stay. Because treatment options for PPOI are limited, it is necessary to focus on prevention strategies. The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors associated with PPOI in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Methods

Data from all consecutive patients who underwent colorectal resection in our department were retrospectively analyzed from a prospective database over a 9-month period. PPOI was defined as the necessity to insert a nasogastric tube in a patient who experienced nausea and two episodes of vomiting with absence of bowel function. Multivariable analysis was performed considering a prespecified list of 16 potential preoperative risk factors.

Results

A total of 523 patients (mean age 59 years; 52.2% males) were included, and 83 patients (15.9%) developed PPOI. Statistically significant independent predictors of PPOI were male sex (OR 2.07; P = 0.0034), open resection (OR 4.47; P < 0.0001), conversion to laparotomy (OR 4.83; P = 0.0015), splenic flexure mobilization (OR 1.72; P = 0.063), and rectal resection (OR 2.72; P = 0.0047). Discriminative ability of this prediction model was 0.72.

Conclusions

Therapeutic strategies aimed to prevent PPOI after colorectal resection should focus on patients with increased risk. Patients and medical staff can be informed of the higher PPOI risk, so that early treatment can be started.

     

Thrombotic risk factors in pulmonary hypertension.

Thrombotic lesions are consistently observed in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and frequently found in primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). It remains unknown, however, whether thrombosis is related to defects of the antithrombotic pathway or to previous vascular injury. This study therefore analysed the frequency of both hereditary and acquired thrombotic risk factors in CTEPH and PPH. One hundred and forty-seven consecutive patients with CTEPH investigated in the author's institution were compared to 99 consecutive patients with PPH. In 116 CTEPH patients and 83 PPH patients, phospholipid-dependent antibodies (antiphospholipid antibodies and lupus anticoagulant) were analysed by both immunological and clotting assays. In patients enrolled since 1994 (46 CTEPH and 64 PPH), hereditary thrombotic risk factors were also determined. Antithrombin, protein C and protein S activities were measured by functional assays. Mutations of factor V and factor II were identified by polymerase chain reaction. The prevalence of hereditary thrombotic risk factors was not increased in patients with either PPH or CTEPH. In contrast, a high frequency of phospholipid-dependent antibodies was observed in PPH (10%) and more notably in CTEPH (20%). Moreover, in PPH, antibodies were present only in low titre whereas in CTEPH, half of the patients with antiphospholipid antibodies had high titres. In addition, in CTEPH all but one of the patients with lupus anticoagulant also had antiphospholipid antibodies. The most striking finding of this study was the high prevalence of phospholipid-dependent antibodies but their clinical relevance appears to be different in primary pulmonary hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. In primary pulmonary hypertension, these antibodies in low titre probably reflect endothelial dysfunction. In contrast, in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension the presence of antibodies in high titre associated with lupus anticoagulant, underlines the role of thrombosis in the pathogenesis of this condition.     

支气管扩张继发肺部真菌感染危险因素分析

目的 分析支气管扩张继发肺部真菌感染的危险因素.方法 采用回顾性病例对照分析方法,收集我院呼吸内科住院期间支气管扩张继发肺部真菌感染28例作为真菌感染组,随机抽取同期呼吸内科住院的无真菌感染支气管扩张患者28例作为对照组,对比分析两组患者的临床资料.结果 血清白蛋白水平、住院时间及抗生素使用时间是支气管扩张继发肺部真菌感染的主要诱因,两组间比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 血清白蛋白水平、住院时间及抗生素使用时间是支气管扩张继发肺部真菌感染的危险因素.     

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis: identification of risk factors

Aspergillosis is the second most frequent fungal infection after candidiasis in teaching hospitals. Clinical manifestations of pulmonary aspergillosis range from asymptomatic colonization to disseminated disease. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, in patients with positive pulmonary isolation of Aspergillus species. A review was undertaken of all clinical records with pulmonary isolation of Aspergillus species at Reina Sofia University Hospital from January 1995 to December 1998. Data collected were: age, gender, history of smoking, past medical history, such as chronic pulmonary disease, immunosuppression, granulocytopenia in the past 6 months and during the last admission, history of surgery including within the last year of the study period, number of hospital admissions and clinical evidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. To investigate all the possible risk factors for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, a multivariable logistic regression model was used. 132 patients with positive pulmonary isolation were identified, of which 42.4% had clinical evidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The independent factors significantly associated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis were: granulocytopenia in the past 6 months, immunosuppression in the last admission and the number of hospital admissions within the past year. Patients with a history of granulocytopenia in the past 6 months and immunosuppression in the last admission are the high-risk group for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. However, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis can also occur in mild granulocytopenic or even immunocompetent patients.     

Genetic risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, only a minority of cigarette smokers develop symptomatic disease. Family and twin studies suggest that genetic factors also contribute to the development of COPD. We present a detailed literature review of the genes which have been investigated as potential risk factors for this disease.     

Preoperative risk factors for para-aortic lymph node positivity in pancreatic cancer

PurposeThis study aimed to identify the preoperative risk factors for para-aortic lymph node (PALN) positivity, including micrometastasis, in pancreatic cancer.MethodsMedical records of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative resection were retrospectively reviewed, and the relationships between preoperative risk factors and PALN positivity were identified. Clinicopathological and prognostic factors for overall survival were analyzed. Micrometastasis was investigated by immunohistochemistry.Results400 patients were enrolled. PALN positivity by hematoxylin and eosin staining, micrometastasis, and negative were found in 46 (11%), 32 (8%), and 322 (81%) patients, respectively. The median overall survival times of patients with PALN positivity, including micrometastasis, was 22.5 months. Multivariate logistic regression identified borderline or locally advanced status (p=0.037), elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level (p<0.001), larger tumor size ≥30 mm (p=0.001) and larger PALN size ≥10 mm (p=0.019) as independent preoperative risk factors of PALN positivity. Multivariate overall survival analysis demonstrated borderline or locally advanced status (p=0.013), elevated preoperative CA19-9 level (p<0.001) and PALN positivity (p=0.048) were independent poor prognostic factors.ConclusionsBorderline or locally advanced status, elevated preoperative CA19-9 level, and larger tumor and PALN size were risk factors for PALN positivity, and thus, they may contribute to the optimization of preoperative treatments for patients with potential PALN positivity.     

Preoperative risk factors for successful extubation or not after lung transplantation

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to uncover preoperative risk factors for extubation failure or re-intubation for patients undergoing lung transplant (LTx).MethodsWe performed a retrospective case-control study of LTx from our center between January 2017 and March 2019. Demographic and preoperative characteristics were collected for all included patients. Univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze risk factors of postoperative unsuccessful extubation following LTx.ResultsAmong 107 patients undergoing first LTx investigated, 74 (69.16%) patients who were successfully liberated from mechanical ventilation (MV), and 33 (30.84%) patients who were unsuccessful extubation, which 18 (16.82%) patients suffered from reintubation. associated preoperative factors for unsuccessful extubation following LTx included preoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support [OR =4.631, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.403–15.286, P=0.012], the preoperative ability of independent expectoration (OR =4.517, 95% CI: 1.498–13.625, P=0.007), the age older than 65-year-old (OR =4.039, 95% CI: 1.154–14.139, P=0.029), and receiving the double lung and heart-LTx (OR =3.390, 95% CI: 0.873–13.162, P=0.078; and OR =16.579, 95% CI: 2.586–106.287, P=0.012, respectively). Further, we investigated the preoperative predicted factors for reintubation. Only the preoperative ECMO remained a significant predictor of re-intubation (OR =4.69, 95% CI: 1.56–15.286, P=0.012).ConclusionsPreoperative independent sputum clearance, preoperative ECMO, older than 65-year-old, and double lung or heart-LTx were four independent risk factors for unsuccessful extubation. Moreover, preoperative ECMO was the only independent risk factor for reintubation.