Complications following lung surgery in the Dutch-Belgian randomized lung cancer screening trial

To assess the complication rate in participants of the screen arm of the NELSON lung cancer screening trial who underwent surgical resection and to investigate, based on a literature review, whether the complication rate, length of hospital stay, re-thoracotomy and mortality rates after a surgical procedure were different from those of the non-screening series, taking co-morbidity into account.

Between April 2004 and December 2008, 198 subjects underwent thoracic surgery. Co-morbid conditions were retrieved from the medical records. Postoperative complications were classified as minor and major.

In total, 182 thoracotomies, 5 thoracotomies after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and 11 VATS procedures were performed. In these patients, 36% had chronic obstructive lung disease, 16% coronary artery disease, 14% diabetes mellitus and 11% peripheral vascular disease. Following thoracotomy, 47% (88/187) had >= 1 minor (7-57% in literature) and 10% (18/187) >= 1 major complication (2-26% in literature); following VATS, 38% (6/16) had >= 1 minor complication, but no major complications. Seventeen per cent (3/18) of major complications and 21% (20/96) of minor complications were seen in subjects operated for benign disease. The re-thoracotomy rate was 3% and there was no 30-day mortality after thoracotomy or VATS (0-8.3% in literature). The mortality rate of 0% after surgical procedures is low when compared with the non-screening series (0-8.3%); the rate of complications (53%) is within range when compared with the non-screening series (8.5-58%).

In conclusion, mortality rates after surgical procedures are lower in the NELSON lung cancer screening trial than those in the non-screening series. The rate of complications is within the same range as in the non-screening series.

Trial registration number: ISR CTN 63545820.