[Complications and their prevention in the surgical treatment of lung diseases in the elderly].

According to the author's data, of 579 elderly patients operated for different diseases of the lungs complications were observed during operation in 24,5% of cases such as cardiac arrhythmia, hemorrhages, acute disturbance of ventilation and cardiac arrest. Postoperative complications (tracheobronchial obturation, pneumonia, cardiac rhythm disturbance, pulmonary-cardiac insufficiency, incompetence of the bronchial stump and thromboembolism) took place in 40,6%. Postoperative lethality was 7,4%. Most frequent complications appeared following pulmonectomy. Great importance is attached by the author to prophylactic measures reducing the postoperative lethality.