ABSTRACT
Background: Almost every patient undergoing a major surgical procedure will experience some degree of physiologic alteration in lung function. A postoperative pulmonary complication is de?ned as any respiratory complication that occur within 48-72 hours following a surgical procedure. The relationship between preoperative variables and postoperative pulmonary complications in surgical patients has been the subject of numerous studies. Development of POPC is due to a combination of factors, including surgical pathology and existing comorbidities, as well as surgical and anaesthetic management in the perioperative period. The main risk factors that have been associated with postoperative pulmonary complication are smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, advanced age, site and duration of surgery, obesity and comorbidity.