How can we reduce the incidence of postoperative mental disorders after thoracic surgery?

Serious mental illness prolongs hospital admission following lung cancer resection

Background

Serious mental illness (SMI) is associated with increased complications and worse outcomes in a variety of surgical diseases, however, SMI as a risk factor in thoracic surgery patients is incompletely understood. We aimed to investigate if comorbid SMI would impact mortality and morbidity following lung cancer resection.

Methods

We identified 615 patients from the Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) database at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (January 2013-June 2021) who underwent lung cancer resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients identified with comorbid SMI as defined in prior studies were identified and stratified into mood, anxiety, and psychosis disorders. We analyzed the risk-adjusted impact of SMI on composite morbidity and mortality and length of stay (LOS) using multivariable logistic regression and Poisson regression analysis, respectively.

Results

Patients with SMI were younger, more frequently female, and more likely to be a smoker. Among identified patients, 186 (37.1%) had comorbid SMI which were predominantly mood disorders (90.3%). Overall, 116 patients (23.2%) had the primary outcome of composite postoperative mortality or morbidity. Following multivariable risk adjustment, patients with and without SMI did not have significantly different morbidity and mortality [odds ratio (OR) =1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86-2.15]. After adjusting for surgery performed and other covariates, LOS was significantly longer among patients with SMI [risk ratio (RR) =1.21; 95% CI: 1.13-1.30].

Conclusions

In a 7.5-year period from a single academic institution, patients undergoing lung cancer resection had high rates of SMI. While no difference in composite morbidity and mortality was demonstrated, patients with SMI had significantly longer LOS.

Preserving NLST mortality benefits and acceptable morbidity for lung cancer surgery in a community hospital

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to demonstrate whether academic thoracic surgeons could achieve morbidity and mortality rates in community hospitals equivalent to those seen in National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of community hospital lung cancer procedures for clinical Stage I-III non-small-cell lung cancers from 2007 through 2014. Variables include age, comorbidities, computed tomography (CT) characterization, and operative techniques.

RESULTS

There were 177 patients who had lung cancers removed by a minimally invasive approach (79%), including lobectomy in 127 (72%), segmentectomy in 4 (2%), and wedge-resections in 46 (26%). The median patient age was 71 years (interquartile range [IQR], 63-76). The cohort was primarily female (58%), clinical Stage I (82%), with a median tumor size of 2.3 cm (IQR, 1.5-3.3). The median length of stay was 6 days (range: 1-35). Complications were experienced by 78 (44.1%) patients, most commonly atrial fibrillation in 20 (11.3%) followed by air-leak in 19 (10.7%). There were no in-hospital deaths. Tumor location and extent of resection were associated with complications, while larger tumor size, margin contour, and resection method were associated with air-leak (all p < 0.05). Higher clinical stage and larger tumor size were associated with occult Stage III disease (both p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The low morbidity and mortality rates from the NLST were achievable in a community setting for early-stage lung cancer. Characterization of cancers using CT imaging identified factors most commonly associated with postoperative complications and the presence of occult Stage III disease.