Key Points ▪ Patients undergoing pulmonary resection should have a preoperative assessment of their respiratory function in three areas: lung mechanical function, pulmonary parenchymal function, and cardiopulmonary reserve (the “three-legged stool” of respiratory assessment). ▪ Patients with underlying lung disease…
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 Radiologic images play an important role in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative evaluation, and diagnosis of patients undergoing thoracic surgery. During the preoperative visit for evaluation of the thoracic surgical patient, the clinician must have an understanding of the…