[Perioperative management of thoracic surgery patients]

Immediate postoperative extubation of patients submitted to chest surgery is possible in almost all cases. The intensive care unit responsible for these patients should have good facilities for bronchoscopy, and the indication for this procedure should be made, postoperatively, on a broad basis. The introduction of peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis has led to a substantial decline in disturbances of wound healing. Due to the use of autologous blood transfusion, the need for homologous blood transfusions has been reduced significantly.