Perioperative respiratory management in cardiac surgery

The perioperative respiratory care of the cardiac surgical patient can present many challenges to the caring physician that he or she may not see among the usual patient population. Knowledge of the effects of the heart-lung machine on pulmonary performance, awareness of the anatomic changes brought on by the surgeon, and consideration of the patient's baseline cardiac and pulmonary function need to be addressed so that the pulmonary problems that they present can be managed optimally.