Introduction: We aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative pulmonary function tests detected by obstruction of the airway and postoperative intubation time with prolonged intensive care unit stay in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement.
Methods: A total of 62 consecutive patients undergoing mitral valve replacement surgery between January 2011 and December 2014 were included in the study. All patients’ gender, presence of systemic disease, smoking history, pulmonary function tests, ejection fraction, pulmonary artery pressure, perioperative cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic clamp time, postoperative intubation time, length of stay in the intensive care unit, preoperative and postoperative aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, arterial blood gas values were recorded. The relationship between these parameters and intensive care unit stay and the duration of tracheal intubation were evaluated. We aimed to investigate the affecting factors for prolonged intensive care unit and hospital stay. 
Results: Total of 62 patients, 36 were female and 26 were male. In 17 of the patients a history of smoking was detected. In 47 patients systemic concomitant diseases were diagnosed. Nine of them had asthma, 8 of them had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Length of stay in the intensive care unit was significantly lower in patients with respirotary disease under treatment than the patients without respirotary disease (p<0.05). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients stayed significantly shorter than non-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients (p<0.05). The length of stay in the intensive care unit was also significantly shorter in patients who are under respiratory medication (p<0.05). Significantly positive correlation existed between intensive care staying time and post-operative renal function indicators (p<0.05).  Significantly negative correlation existed between intubation period and forced expiratory volume in the first second (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Patients who underwent mitral valve replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass, preoperative  airway obstruction assessments may provide postoperative decreased mechanical ventilation requirement and decreased hospital stay.

Preoperative airway obstruction as a cause of morbidity in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement