Is Preoperative Spirometry Necessary for Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery?

Abstract

Background/Aim: The significance of spirometry as preoperative risk assessment for gastrointestinal surgery has been controversial. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, preoperative spirometry was temporarily suspended in our institute. This study was aimed to investigate the necessity of spirometry for gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Patients and Methods: We compared short-term postoperative outcomes between 318 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal or gastric cancer with (Spirometry group; n=272) or without spirometry (Non-spirometry group; n=46). Results: Respiratory functional disorders were detected in 77 (28.3%) patients in the Spirometry group. No significant differences were noted in complications, including pneumonia, or the length of hospital stay between the two groups. An advanced age, male sex, comorbidities with respiratory diseases, and a smoking history significantly correlated with abnormal results in spirometry. Conclusion: Preoperative spirometry may be substituted with other clinical factors in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.