(1)   Which of the following patients have the maximum risk of postoperative pulmonary complications?

 (a)    A 55 years old woman undergoing open cholecystectomy for chronic calculous cholecystitis.

(b)   A 60 years old smoker undergoing Coronary artery bypass grafting

(c)    A 45 years old healthy man undergoing liposuction of his abdominal fat

(d)   A 66 years old smoker who is undergoing esophago-gastric resection and esophago-jejunostomy for cancer of the middle third of esophagus.

 Answer: The answer is (d). This man is undergoing a major surgery involving the thorax and the abdomen. He is also scheduled for a general anaesthesia and is a smoker. All these factors predispose him to a high risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. The others are relatively lower risk due to the nature of their surgery and the other comorbid conditions.