Prevention of pulmonary complications after aortic surgery: evaluation of prophylactic noninvasive perioperative ventilation.

Background: In 40% of the cases, pulmonary complications are encountered after aortic surgery in patients suffering from chronic obstructive broncho-pneumopathy (COBP). The factors aggravating the occurrence of these complications are cumulated tobacco addiction of ≥40 packets per year and surgery for aneurysm. The aim of our prospective study was to evaluate the effect of pre- and postoperative noninvasive ventilation (NIV) preparation on the respiratory function of patients presenting with high pulmonary risks.