General patient satisfaction after elective and acute thoracic surgery is associated with postoperative complications.

Background: Patient's satisfaction has been regarded as a subjective reflection of the quality of care received by patients during their hospital stay. However, which factors may influence patient satisfaction in different healthcare settings needs to be determined.

Methods: Cross-sectional investigation of satisfaction at the time of discharge in 52 consecutive patients admitted in a UK Referral Centre for Thoracic Surgery for either elective (41 patients) or acute (11 patients) procedures.