Postoperative Complications After Thoracic Surgery-An Analysis From the German Thorax Registry.

Objectives: To assess the incidence and impact of postoperative complications in thoracic surgery using data from the German Thorax Registry.

Design: Retrospective analysis of registry data from 2016 to 2023.

Setting: Data from 12 hospitals in Germany, including university, general, and specialized thoracic clinics.

Participants: A total of 7,923 adult patients undergoing thoracic surgery, with at least 100 documented cases for each type of procedure.

Interventions: Thoracic surgical procedures such as wedge resections, lobectomies, bilobectomies, pneumonectomies, and others were analyzed for postoperative complications.

Measurements and main results: Complications occurred in 27.7% of patients, with respiratory issues (8.3% respiratory insufficiency, 8.1% prolonged air leaks) being the most common. Bilobectomy (66.4%) and pneumonectomy (54.8%) had the highest complication rates. Respiratory complications had the greatest impact on mortality (odds ratio 13.3), followed by cardiac complications (odds ratio 4.0). Patients with complications had an average extension of hospital stay of 8.7 days.

Conclusions: Postoperative complications in thoracic surgery remain common, particularly respiratory complications, which significantly affect hospital mortality and length of stay. These findings highlight the importance of personalized perioperative strategies and vigilant monitoring, especially for high-risk procedures.