Upper abdominal incision significantly increased the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications within 30 days compared to other incisions (OR 3.71), and was incorporated into a novel predictive scoring system.
Observational (n=203)
No
A novel scoring system incorporating surgery type, preoperative cough, and season of surgery can help predict postoperative pulmonary complications in patients referred for preoperative pulmonary evaluation.
Odds Ratio: 3.71 (95% CI 1.845–7.461)
Absolute Event Rate: 50.9% vs 28.7%
p-value: p=<0.001
Objective: There is no existing scoring system to predict postoperative risks, such as the Canet scoring system, for patients referred to pulmonology clinics.The aim of this study was to develop a scoring system to predict postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients referred to the pulmonology clinics for preoperative evaluation. Patients ans Methods: This prospective, single-center study included patients referred for preoperative evaluation by surgical departments to the pulmonary medicine clinic at a tertiary care center. Preoperative demographic data and pulmonary evaluation results were recorded. Patients were followed postoperatively until discharge, with follow-up phone calls at the first month to assess pulmonary symptoms. Mortality data was recorded at the third month. Results: A total of 203 patients were included between January 2018 and February 2020. Of these, 55.7% were female, with a mean age of 60.59 years. PPC rate at the first month was 36.4%, and 22.7% had ongoing symptoms or new complications. The most common complication was bronchospasm (23.2%). Significant preoperative risk factors included surgery type, preoperative cough/dyspnea, and the season of surgery (p<0.05). Pulmonary complications were three times more frequent in patients undergoing upper abdominal or thoracic surgery. Conclusion: Avoiding surgery during symptomatic periods and making optimal preoperative preparations may reduce the PPC rates.
Değirmenci et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Patients referred for preoperative pulmonary evaluation (n=203). Upper abdominal incision vs. Other incision types was evaluated on Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) within 30 days (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.845-7.461, p=<0.001). Upper abdominal incision significantly increased the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications within 30 days compared to other incisions (OR 3.71), and was incorporated into a novel predictive scoring system.