Factors that predict postoperative pulmonary complications after supracricoid partial laryngectomy.

Objective: To determine the risk factors related to postoperative pulmonary complications in patients who undergo supracricoid partial laryngectomy.

Design: Retrospective analysis of medical records.

Setting: Tertiary care referral center.

Patients: One hundred eleven patients who underwent supracricoid partial laryngectomy from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 2008.

Main Outcome Measures: Relationship between postoperative pulmonary complications and perioperative risk factors, such as age, sex, chronic lung disease, smoking status, tumor site, tumor stage, preoperative irradiation, extent of surgery, reconstruction method, and pulmonary function tests.

Results: Thirty-six patients (32.4%) developed postoperative pulmonary complications. Significant correlations were found among age (P = .002), chronic lung disease (P = .005), smoking status (P = .02), and postoperative pulmonary complications. Cricohyoidopexy (P = .008) and ipsilateral arytenoidectomy (P = .03) were associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. The multivariate analysis showed a significant association of the postoperative pulmonary complications with age (odds ratio [OR], 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-11.7 in patients 60 to 69 years old; and OR, 7.1; 95% CI, 1.3-37.6 in patients 70 to 79 years old) and cricohyoidopexy (OR, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.1-18.1).

Conclusion: Patients 60 years or older and patients with cricohyoidopexy are at high risk of having postoperative pulmonary complications after supracricoid partial laryngectomy.