Physiological changes associated with unilateral pulmonary ventilation during operations on the lung

No important changes in the respiratory parameters were observed during one-lung anaesthesia. However, this kind of thoracic intervention can be accompanied by a dramatic fall in arterial oxygen tension. Methods to avoid tissue hypoxia have been described. In our series no complications whatever occurred in the operative and post-operative periods which could be related to the oxygenation of the patient.