Chapter 12 - Anesthesia for lung resection

Summary

Appropriate and timely investigations should be performed in order to assess the impact of lung resection on the patient and to guide anesthetic management. The thoracic anesthetist must have a good basic technique with which he or she is completely familiar. The chapter describes the general considerations, conduct of anesthesia and post-operative considerations for segmental or wedge resections, lobectomy, and pneumonectomy. Segmental or wedge resections are very useful surgical techniques facilitating the preservation of lung tissue. These techniques are only possible if the lesion is located in peripheral lung tissue and is well circumscribed. Lobectomy is indicated for malignancy or benign lesions such as bronchiectasis and turberculosis localized to a lobe. The surgery is usually performed through a thoracotomy. As with all thoracic surgery it is important to have thought about potential escalation of the procedure proposed and what physiological impact this may have on the patient.