Background: The aim of our study was to determine risk factors for prolonged air leak after pulmonary resections.
Methods and results: Two hundred and five patients were operated at our department between January 2003 and March 2004. Prolonged air leak (PAL) was defined as an air leak lasting 7 days or more of postoperative chest tube drainage. PAL occurred in 17 (8.3%) patients and it lasted 10.1+/-3.5 days. COPD remained the only variable predicted for PAL (p<0.05). This complication significantly prolongs the length of hospitalization (p<0.01).
Conclusions: COPD patients have significantly higher risk for PAL following pulmonary resection. Intraoperative prevention of the air leak requires meticulous surgical technique, stapler use and application of pericardial bovine strips.