Assessment of preoperative spirometric profiles and dyspnea severity in patients undergoing thoracic surgery

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Preoperative spirometry constitutes an essential step in the preparation of patients undergoing thoracic surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the preoperative spirometric profile and its association with the severity of dyspnea in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. <bold>Methods:</bold> This was a retrospective study (2016-2023) including patients referred to our department for preoperative spirometry before thoracic surgery. The severity of dyspnea was assessed using the Modified Medical Research Council Scale (mMRC), alongside the recording of spirometric measurements including Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1%) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC%). <bold>Results:</bold> The study population of 450 patients with a mean age of 59.56±13.36 years and a sex ratio of 2.75. The majority of proposed surgeries were pulmonary (62%). Among the participants, 58.2% had normal preoperative spirometry, 26.4% had obstructive ventilatory defect and 15.3% had a probable restrictive ventilatory defect. In terms of dyspnea severity, 205 individuals (45.6%) reported no dyspnea, 110 (24.4%) experienced stage 1 dyspnea and 93 (20.7%) were classified with stage 2 dyspnea. Additionally, there was a significant correlation observed between the mMRC score and both FEV1% (r=0.258; p<0.0001) and FVC% (r=0.205; p<0.0001). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our study demonstrated the critical role of preoperative spirometry in assessing patients prior to thoracic surgery. The significant correlation between spirometric measurements and dyspnea severity highlights the importance of this evaluation in identifying patients who may be at higher risk for postoperative complications.