# Unplanned Perioperative Reoperation Following Pulmonary Resection in Lung Cancer Patients: A Report of a Single‐Center Experience

## TL;DR

This study examines why some lung cancer patients need unplanned reoperations after their initial surgery, finding that bleeding and leaks are common causes.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific causes and timing of unplanned reoperations after pulmonary resection in lung cancer patients.

## Key findings

- Bleeding was the most common cause of unplanned reoperation, affecting 73% of cases.
- Chylous leakage and lobar torsion were also significant causes of reoperation.
- Most reoperations occurred within 24 hours of the initial surgery.

## Abstract

Pulmonary resection is an important part of comprehensive treatment of lung cancer. Despite the progress in recent thoracic surgery, reoperation is occasionally inevitable for managing severe perioperative complications. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and causes of perioperative reoperation in lung cancer patients.

We retrospectively collected patients who underwent reoperation following pulmonary resection from January 2010 to February 2021 in China‐Japan Friendship Hospital.

Among the 5032 lung cancer patients who received primary pulmonary resection in our institute, 37 patients underwent perioperative reoperation with the rate being 0.74%. Lobectomy was the most frequently executed procedure (56.8%). The mean duration of the primary surgery was 143.6 ± 65.1 min. About half of the cases received secondary surgery within 24 h of the primary surgery, whereas only one case underwent secondary surgery 30 days after the primary surgery (due to chylous leakage). The major causes of the reoperation were bleeding (73.0%), chylous leakage (13.5%), lobar torsion (5.4%), air leakage (2.7%), atelectasis (2.9%), and cardiac herniation (2.7%).

The most prevalent reasons for unplanned reoperation following pulmonary resection in lung cancer patients include bleeding, chylous leakage, and lobar torsion. The strict control of the surgical indications and standardization of surgical procedures are fundamental to reduce unplanned secondary operations after pulmonary resections. Timely identification of the need to secondary surgery is also important to ensure patients' safety.

The most prevalent reasons for unplanned reoperation following pulmonary resection in lung cancer patients include bleeding, chylous leakage, and lobar torsion. Timely identification of the need to secondary surgery is also important to ensure patients' safety.