Can exercise capacity assessed by the shuttle walk test predict the development of post-operative complications in patients with lung cancer?

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to assess the role of shuttle walk test in predicting post-operative complications in lung cancer resection surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of patients who were candidate for lung resection surgery with the diagnosis of early stage lung cancer were included to this study. All patients in this study evaluated for exercise capacity testing with shuttle walk test.
RESULTS: Twenty for patients were included in this study. Mean age was 61.5 ± 8.6 years. Pneumonectomy, lobectomy, bilobectomy and wedge resection were performed in 11 (46%), 10 (42%), 2 (8%), and 1 (4%) patients, respectively. Complications occurred only in six patients. There was no statistically significant relationship between risk for development of post-operative complication and age, incremental shuttle walk test, endurance shuttle walk test and exercise capacity evaluated with peak VO₂ (mL/kg/minute) (p> 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Shuttle walk tests (incremental and enduronce) had a limited role in predicting post-operative complications in lung cancer resections.