Redistribution of pulmonary ventilation after lung surgery detected with electrical impedance tomography.

Background: Regional ventilation of the lung can be visualized by pulmonary electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The aim of this study was to examine the post-operative redistribution of regional ventilation after lung surgery dependent on the side of surgery and its association with forced vital capacity.

Methods: In this prospective, observational cohort study 13 patients undergoing right and 13 patients undergoing left-sided open or video-thoracoscopic procedures have been investigated.