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

Wedge resection has a 37% lower mortality and 50% lower major morbidity rate than anatomic resection in these propensity-matched populations. The mortality benefit is most apparent in patients with forced expiratory volume in 1 second less than 85% predicted. These perioperative benefits must be carefully weighed against the increase in locoregional recurrence and possible decrease in long-term survival associated with the use of wedge resection for primary lung cancers.