Potential Complications of Lung Resections

• Potential Complications:

  • Post operation air leak
  • Surgical emphysema - air leaks out of thoracic space and sits under skin
  • Pleural effusion post drain removal
  • Damage left recurrent laryngeal nerve:
  • palsy of the vocal cord
  • reduced effectiveness of coughing
  • Damage to phrenic nerve - results in less raising of hemidiaphragm
  • Retention of secretions
  • Mini-trache - small tracheostomy for the removal of secretions
  • Bronchopleural fistula - hole in between part of the lung and the pleura - the fluid thats collecting in the empty thorax can leak into the remaining lung and cause an infection
• Potential Complications:

  • Pleural effusion post drain removal
• Potential Complications - Post operation air leak:

  • Surgical emphysema - air leaks out of thoracic space and sits under skin
• Potential Complications - Damage left recurrent laryngeal nerve:

  • palsy of the vocal cord
  • reduced effectiveness of coughing
• Potential Complications - Damage to phrenic nerve:

  • results in less raising of hemidiaphragm
• Potential Complications - Retention of secretions:

  • Mini-trache - small tracheostomy for the removal of secretions
• Potential Complications - Bronchopleural fistula:

  • hole in between part of the lung and the pleura - the fluid thats collecting in the empty thorax can leak into the remaining lung and cause an infection