OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the morbidity and mortality of 100 consecutive patients with pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer at the University of Kentucky.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 100 consecutive pneumonectomy patients, 1998-2009.

RESULTS: The median age of patients was 59 years, with a range of 27 to 79 years. Sixty-eight patients (68%) were men. Fifty-four patients (54%) received left pneumonectomy. Major postoperative complication rate was 39%, with atrial fibrillation being the most common complication, occurring in 26 patients. The overall postoperative mortality rate was 11% (11/100 patients). The mortality rate among right pneumonectomy patients was 17.4% (8/46 patients) compared with 5.6% (3/54 patients) for left pneumonectomy. The postoperative mortality rate among patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy was 14.3% (4/28 patients). In addition, among patients who received neoadjuvant therapy, the mortality rate for right and left pneumonectomy was 21.4% (3/14 patients) and 7.1% (1/14 patients), respectively. The mortality rate among patients older than 70 years at the time of pneumonectomy was 18.2% (2/11 patients).

CONCLUSIONS: With a postoperative mortality rate of 11% and a major postoperative complication rate of 39%, pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The factors associated with the increased mortality rate include right pneumonectomy, patient age older than 70 years at the time of procedure, and neoadjuvant therapy before pneumonectomy.