[The relation between the frequency of exercise oxygen desaturation following major lung resection and the predictions of postoperative pulmonary function].

The predictors of oxygen desaturation during exercise in patients submitted to major pulmonary resection for lung cancer are to be determined. We analyzed retrospectively the relation between the oxygen saturation by pulse oxymetry (Spo2) during exercise and the predictions of postoperative pulmonary function. A hundred twenty-two patients with lung cancer who underwent lung resection from January 1999 to May 2004 were included (79 men, 43 women, average age 66.9 +/- 9.2). A fall over 5% in Spo2 during exercise was termed 'desaturation'. Twenty-eight patients developed desaturation [group D(+)] and 94 patients did not [group D(-)]. We compared the predictions of postoperative pulmonary function (%ppoVC, %ppoFEV1.0, %ppoDLco) between these 2 groups. As a result, only %ppoDLco was significantly different between 2 groups [D(+) 68.7 +/- 19.1%, D(-) 83.8 +/- 24.9%]. Patients with poor %ppoDLco are at increased risk to develop a postoperative exercise oxygen desaturation.