Medicina intensiva
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Thoracic surgery has undergone significant advances in recent years related to anesthetic and surgical techniques and the prevention and management of complications related to the procedure. This has allowed improvements in patient clinical outcomes in surgeries of this kind. Despite the above, thoracic surgery, especially related to pulmonary resection, is not without risk, and is associated to considerable morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Medical complications include respiratory failure, arrhythmias, respiratory infections, atelectasis and thromboembolic lung disease. The most frequent surgical complications are hemothorax, chylothorax, bronchopleural fistula and prolonged air leakage. The multidisciplinary management of these patients throughout the perioperative period is essential in order to ensure the best surgical outcomes.