Prolonged air leak or alveolar-pleural fistula is common after lung resection and can usually be managed with continued pleural drainage until resolution. Further management options include blood patch administration, chemical…
Thoracic surgery is considered one of the most painful surgical procedures performed. Pain is mediated via several mechanisms and is affected by the surgical approach as well as patient factors….
Esophagectomy is a major operation whereby intraoperative technique and postoperative care must be optimal. Even in expert hands, the complication rate is as high as 59%. Here the authors discuss…
Esophagectomy is a complex operation with many potential complications. Early recognition of postoperative complications allows for the best chance for patient survival. Diagnosis and management of conduit complications, including leak,…
Postoperative prolonged air leaks (PALs) occur after thoracic surgery in which lung parenchyma is resected, divided, or manipulated. These air leaks can place patients at risk for intensive care unit…
Esophageal cancer requires a multimodality treatment approach, with surgical resection a key component in many cases. When it comes to esophagectomy, several approaches and techniques exist, including transhiatal versus transthoracic…
The intraoperative anesthetic management for thoracic surgery can impact a patient’s postoperative course, especially in patients with significant lung disease. One-lung ventilation poses an inherent risk to patients, including hypoxemia,…
Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs), used across multiple surgical subspecialties, is a multidisciplinary delivery of perioperative care designed to lessen the psychological stress of patients undergoing surgery. Thoracic ERP has been…
Outcomes after thoracic surgery are better predicted by preoperative evaluation of patients’ physiologic reserve (also known as personal biologic age rather than chronologic age), using validated assessment tools in multidisciplinary…
Preoperative evaluation before thoracic surgery aims to separate those patients who will tolerate surgery and those who are not surgical candidates. Predicted postoperative pulmonary function testing helps make this distinction….
