Quantifying the Safety Benefits of Wedge Resection: A Society of Thoracic Surgery Database Propensity-Matched Analysis

The potential benefit of wedge resection vs anatomic resection for stage I and II lung cancer was examined using propensity score matching for pts from the STS Database.  Over 3700 pts were matched in each group.  Wedge resection was associated with fewer major complications (4.5% vs 9.0%) and lower mortality (1.2% vs 1.9%).  Wedge resection reduced pulmonary but not cardiovascular or neurologic complications.  The morality reduction for wedge resection was mainly evident in patients with impaired lung function.  Cancer outcomes were not assessed, and the relative overall benefit of wedge vs anatomic resection remains to be determined.