Postoperative pulmonary complications add to higher mortality and morbidity. This risk could be lowered with intraoperative protective ventilation, especially with low tidal volumes. The application of PEEP and the use of recruitment maneuvers can enhance the lung function during surgery, but can also cause haemodynamic instability. In patients with open abdominal surgery and no lung damage or obesity, PEEP and recruitment maneuvers have no protective effect against postoperative pulmonary complications. It is still unclear, wether the use of intraoperative PEEP in other patient groups and during different surgery procedures is relevant for lung protection.
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