Author(s)

Connie Drewbrook¹, Samarpita Das¹, Dorsa Mousadoust², Dorsa Mousadoust², Dorsa Mousadoust², Basil Nasir^1,2, John Yee^1,2, Anna McGuire^1,2

¹Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
²Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Introduction: Prolonged air leak (PAL) is a common complication following pulmonary resection. It is associated with pneumonia, empyema, increased length of hospital stay and health-care costs. Intraoperative techniques have been developed to mitigate the risk of developing a PAL, but for their use to be efficient, identification of patients at risk for PAL is necessary. Aim: To determine the incidence of PAL following lobectomy and lesser pulmonary resections, risk factors for development of PALs, and the impact of PAL on hospital stay and readmission rates. Methods: The following variables were analyzed as PAL risk factors: patient characteristics of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), forced minute expiratory volume and capacity ratio (FEV1 and FEV1/FVC), diffusion capacity (DCLO), and transplant recipient status. Validated scoring systems included the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea score, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (EGOC) score. Surgical factors included surgical technique, unplanned conversion from video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to thoracotomy, location and extent of resection, presence of adhesions, completeness of fissures, and method of fissure completion. Length of hospital stay and readmission rates were analyzed. Statistical tests performed on the data include univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Over the 9-month study duration there were 269 lung resections, of which 31 (11.52%) had an air leak lasting longer than 5 days. Mean length of stay in hospital was significantly longer in patients with PAL compared to the control group (13 vs 5 days, P < 0.001). Significant risk factors for PAL from multivariate analysis include normal BMI (P = 0.009), right upper lobectomy (P = 0.001), and unplanned conversion from video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to thoracotomy (P = 0.023). Conclusion: The incidence of PAL in our study population is similar to that found in previous studies. PAL prolongs hospital length of stay. Normal BMI, right upper lobectomy, and unplanned conversion from VATS to thoracotomy are risk factors for PAL.

Pulmonary Resection, Air Leak, Risk Factors, Length of Stay, Thoracic Surgery

Drewbrook, C. , Das, S. , Mousadoust, D. , Mousadoust, D. , Mousadoust, D. , Nasir, B. , Yee, J. and McGuire, A. (2016) Incidence Risk and Independent Predictors of Prolonged Air Leak in 269 Consecutive Pulmonary Resection Patients over Nine Months: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study. Open Journal of Thoracic Surgery, 6, 33-46. doi: 10.4236/ojts.2016.64006.