title: Postoperative complications after thoracic surgery for lung cancer.
abstract: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Several surgical techniques are currently used as part of the standard of care for early-stage lung cancer. Differentiating normal postoperative changes from complications is essential in the management of these patients. This article will review the various surgical approaches used, ranging from wedge resection to pneumonectomy, and will outline their expected postsurgical changes. Early and late postsurgical complications will be described, some of which are unique to the type of surgery performed. In addition, local tumor recurrence is a form of postoperative complication and must be distinguished from typical postoperative or postradiation change. Knowledge of both common and uncommon postoperative complications is crucial in the follow-up of lung cancer patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Familiarity with the appearance of postoperative complications in lung cancer patients is vital to distinguish it from the normal postoperative or postradiation appearance in follow-up imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, NY Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY, 10065. Electronic address: rotmanj@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rotman
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065. Electronic address: plodkowa@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Plodkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065. Electronic address: hayess@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030. Electronic address: PDeGroot@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114. Electronic address: jshepard@partners.org.
authors.forename: Jo-Anne O
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shepard
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Houston Methodist Hospital, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030. Electronic address: rfmunden@houstonmethodist.org.
authors.forename: Reginald F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Munden
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065. Electronic address: ginsberm@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: Michelle S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: CT; Chest; Lung cancer; Surgery