Airway obstruction and perioperative complications in smokers undergoing abdominal surgery

Background: The goal of this study was to determine whether airway obstruction determined by preoperative spirometry predicts perioperative complications in smokers undergoing abdominal surgery whose treatment is managed according to current clinical practice. Methods: A pulmonary function database identified patients undergoing abdominal surgery who met the following criteria for airway obstruction (n = 135): a forced expiratory volume less than 40% of predicted normal value, a forced expiratory volume:forced vital capacity ratio less than the lower limit of predicted normal, a smoking history of more than 20 pack-years, and an age older than 35 yr. A group of patients without airway obstruction (n = 135) was matched for gender, surgical site (upper vs. lower abdominal), smoking history, and age. Medical records were reviewed by an abstractor to identify perioperative complications that occurred within 30 days after surgery. Results: The forced expiratory volume values were 0.9 ± 0.2 l (mean ± SD) and 2.9 ± 0.6 l in patients with and without airway obstruction, respectively. When analyzed by conditional logistic regression using the 1:1 matched-pairs feature, including age, pack-year smoking history, site of incision, and current smoking status as covariates, in patients with airway obstruction bronchospasm was more likely to develop (odds ratio, 6.9 [95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 38.4]) but the patients were not more likely to need prolonged endotracheal intubation (odds ratio, 1.11 [95% confidence interval, 0.4 to 3.2]). They were also no more likely to need prolonged intensive care admission or readmission. The frequency of other complications was less than 5%. Conclusion: When other factors were considered, preoperative airway obstruction predicted the occurrence of bronchospasm, but not prolonged endotracheal intubation, in smokers undergoing abdominal surgery who are treated according to current clinical practices.