Introduction One-lung ventilation (OLV) was first described in 1931, and the first pneumonectomy for cancer was performed in 1933. Although technology has evolved since then, OLV still poses a challenge for the anesthesiologist. For several decades, the impairment of gas…
Introduction The intraoperative period is critical for the patient undergoing thoracic surgery, frequently performed for resection of lung cancer. Both surgery and anesthesia are required to help the patient to overcome and survive a disease amenable to surgical treatment, however,…
Introduction Postoperative pulmonary complications remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery. Approximately 230 million major surgical procedures are conducted annually worldwide. Perioperative pulmonary complications are common, occurring in up to 59% of patients. Approximately 2.7% of surgical…
Introduction One-lung ventilation (OLV) in the thoracic surgical patient who presents with a difficult airway can be achieved with the use of a single-lumen endotracheal tube with a bronchial blocker or with the use of a double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLT).…
Introduction Lung separation techniques are designed to facilitate surgical exposure and provide one-lung ventilation (OLV) in patients undergoing thoracic, mediastinal, cardiac, vascular, esophageal, or selective spine surgery. Lung separation can be achieved with two different techniques. The first involves the…
Introduction One-lung ventilation (OLV) is a standard procedure required in thoracic surgery for cancer resection, treatment of bronchopulmonary fistula or bleeding, and lung transplantation, as well as for intrathoracic diagnostic investigations. Over the past 3 decades, the incidence of intraoperative…
Introduction The term high-frequency ventilation (HFV) summarizes different techniques of ventilation with a ventilator frequency of more than 60 breaths per minute, tidal volumes (V T ) of equal or less than dead space, as well as lower peak airway…
Introduction The complex cardiopulmonary interactions, combined with abnormal secretion and surgical impairment of lung-chest wall dynamics makes hypoxemia, hypo- and hypertension, dysrhythmia, hypercapnia, and acidosis common threats in the perioperative period. Bronchoscopy by definition is a procedure that allows for…
Introduction Thoracic surgery is a rapidly changing surgical subspecialty that presents the anesthesiology community with a myriad of challenges, one of which is hemodynamic monitoring. Thoracic surgical patients range from relatively healthy adults with refractory gastroesophageal reflux in need of…
Introduction During anesthesia for a thoracic surgical procedure, many alterations in physiology occur, including changes in oxygenation and ventilation. Whether the patient is receiving monitored anesthesia care (MAC), regional anesthesia, or general anesthesia, it is essential that the anesthesiologist monitor…