Incidence, Management, and Outcomes of Intraoperative Catastrophes During Robotic Pulmonary Resection

This multiinstitutional study including advocates of robotic lung resection identified a 1.9% incidence of intraoperative castrophes, most commonly pulmonary arterial bleeding. Patients at risk had lower FEV1%, higher clinical stage, and more frequent preoperative radiation therapy. Interestingly, they were also undergoing a different surgical approach than what the authors normally used. The hospital mortality in these patients was 10-fold higher than among patients who did not suffer catastrophes.