| Summary: | As the population ages, the number of patients in whom lung disease develops and who require surgical intervention will continue to rise. When compared with open thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) offers patients significant advantages. Decreased invasiveness results in less blood loss, a lower rate of infection, and less postoperative pain and allows for quicker recovery. A description of the significant physiologic changes related to pulmonary blood flow, ventilation, and perfusion when patients are placed in the lateral decubitus position is included. A common method of providing one-lung ventilation during VATS is via a double-lumen endotracheal tube. Proper use, placement, ventilation strategies, and methods to minimize the incidence and treat hypoxia for a double-lumen tube are reviewed. One-lung ventilation poses significant challenges for anesthetists. As a result, adequate preparation during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases is essential.
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