Incidence and risk factors of pulmonary complications after lung cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are associated with high mortality rates after lung cancer surgery. Although some studies have discussed the different risk factors for PPCs, the relationship between these factors and their impact on PPCs remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to systematically summarize the incidence and determine the risk factors for PPCs. We conducted a systematic search of five English and four Chinese databases from their inception to April 1, 2023. A total of 34 articles (8 cohort studies and 26 case-control studies) (n = 31696, 5833 with PPCs) were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was the incidence of PPC. The secondary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) of PPCs based on the identified risk factors calculated by RevMan 5.4. A narrative descriptive summary of the study results was presented when pooling the results or conducting a meta-analysis was not possible. The pooled incidence of PPCs was 18.4 %. This meta-analysis demonstrated that TNM staging (OR 4.29, 95 % CI 2.59–7.13), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR 2.47, 95 % CI 1.80–3.40), smoking history (OR 2.37, 95 % CI 1.33–4.21), poor compliance with respiratory rehabilitation (OR 1.64, 95 % CI 1.17–2.30), male sex (OR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.28–2.04), diabetes (OR 1.56, 95 % CI 1.07–2.27), intraoperative bleeding volume (OR 1.44, 95 % CI 1.02–2.04), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score (ECOG) > 1 (OR 1.37, 95 % CI 1.04–1.80), history of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy (OR 1.32, 95 % CI 1.03–1.70), older age (OR 1.18, 95 % CI 1.11–1.24), and duration of surgery (OR 1.07, 95 % CI 1.04–1.10) were significantly associated with a higher risk of PPCs. In contrast, the peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) (OR 0.99, 95 % CI 0.98–0.99) was a protective factor. Clinicians should implement targeted and effective interventions to prevent the occurrence of PPCs. •Non-adherence in pulmonary rehabilitation is a significant risk factor for PPCs.•The effect of the type of lung resection on PPCs is unclear.•The incidence of lung complications after lung cancer surgery was 18.4 %.•Pulmonary rehabilitation can reduce the occurrence of pulmonary complications.•The diagnostic criteria of pulmonary complications vary limiting comparability.