Complications of pulmonary surgery

Complications of pulmonary surgery

Respiratory

·         Sputum retention ± infection

·         Atelectasis/lobar collapse

·         Persistent air leak/pneumothorax

·         Bronchopleural fistula (breakdown of the bronchus from which the lung tissue has been resected, more likely to occur following pneumonectomy and generally occurs about 8–10 days after surgery)

·         Pleural effusion

·         Surgical emphysema

·         Respiratory failure

Circulatory

·         Haemorrhage

·         Cardiac arrhythmia: atrial fibrillation will occur in approximately 30% of lung resection patients

·         Deep vein thrombosis

·         Pulmonary embolus

·         Myocardial infarction

Wound

·         Infection

·         Chronic wound pain

·         Failure to heal

Neurological

·         Stroke

·         Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) damage (the RLN supplies the vocal chords and trauma during surgery will impair the patients’ ability to cough)

·         Phrenic nerve damage, resulting in paralysis of the hemi-diaphragm

Loss of joint range

·         Loss of shoulder range on operated side

·         Postural changes

Reference:

·        Tidys Physiotherapy, (15th)