RT Book, Section A1 Mentzer, Steven J. A2 Sugarbaker, David J. A2 Bueno, Raphael A2 Burt, Bryan M. A2 Groth, Shawn S. A2 Loor, Gabriel A2 Wolf, Andrea S. A2 Williams, Marcia A2 Adams, Ann SR Print(0) ID 1170405708 T1 Postoperative Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient T2 Sugarbaker’s Adult Chest Surgery, 3e YR 2020 FD 2020 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781260026931 LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1170405708 RD 2024/11/08 AB The postoperative thoracic surgery patient benefits from a well-trained staff, an active rehabilitative approach, and specialized equipment to monitor progress during postoperative recovery. The care team’s understanding of both the type of surgical procedure and the underlying disease is important for proactive patient management. A frequently underappreciated aspect of surgical recovery is an active approach to rehabilitation. Early ambulation confers multiple systemic benefits in any surgical setting but is uniquely vital to the recovering thoracic patient. Ambulation promotes airway clearance and decreases the risk of pneumonia in postoperative patients with surgically impaired or abnormal respiratory physiology. Specialized equipment, including ambulatory monitoring, is useful in facilitating early mobilization and rehabilitation. Together, these components of postoperative care can have a significant impact on perioperative morbidity and mortality.