Respiratory Mechanics During One-lung Ventilation

Intraoperative lung protective ventilatory strategy has been widely recognized to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications in laparotomy and laparoscopic surgeries. However, the clinical evidence and consensus for ventilatory strategy to protect the dependent lung segments during thoracic surgery that requires one-lung ventilation (OLV) is currently not available. Since lung compliance changes significantly during OLV, the levels of respiratory mechanics should be optimized to avoid barotrauma and volutrauma. This study aims to determine the optimal levels of volume-pressure dynamics during OLV and at the phase of recruitment of the independent lungs by achieving optimal lung compliance, gas exchange and hemodynamics.