Value of preoperative spirometry test in predicting postoperative pulmonary complications in high-risk patients after laparoscopic abdominal surgery

Whether preoperative spirometry in non-thoracic surgery can predict postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) is controversial. We investigated whether preoperative spirometry results can predict the occurrence of PPCs in patients who had undergone laparoscopic abdominal surgery. This retrospective observational study analyzed the records of patients who underwent inpatient laparoscopic gastric or colorectal cancer surgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between January 2010 and June 2017. Preoperative spirometry was performed for patients at a high risk of PPCs, such as elderly patients (age >60 years), patients aged P = 0.018). However, the preoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (%) and FEV1/FVC (%) were not significantly associated with PPCs (P = 0.059 and P = 0.147, respectively). In conclusion, lower preoperative spirometry FVC, but not FEV1 or FEV1/FVC, may predict PPCs in high-risk patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery.