Hip fracture is a common injury among the elderly. Although patients who receive hip fracture surgery carry the best functional recovery compared to other treatment modalities, the presence of postoperative pulmonary complications, such as atelectasis, pneumonia, and pulmonary thromboembolism, may contribute to increased length of hospital stay, perioperative morbidity, and mortality. This review aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for preoperative assessment and perioperative strategies to reduce the risk of pulmonary complications after hip fracture surgery. Clinical assessment and basic laboratory results are sufficient to stratify the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Well-documented risk factors for pulmonary complications include advanced age, poor general health status, current infections, pre-existing cardiopulmonary diseases, hypoalbuminemia, and impaired renal function. Apart from optimizing the patient's medical conditions, interventions such as lung expansion maneuvers and thromboprophylaxis have been proven to be effective in reducing the risk of pulmonary complications after hip fracture surgery.

Thoracic surgery has evolved throughout the decades. The difficulty of accessing the intrathoracic organs through the bony rib-cage has been a challenge for thoracic surgeons. In the past, large incisions stretching across the chest, such as posterolateral thoracotomies with rib spreading was the standard approach to access the lungs. These methods cause large amounts of trauma to the patient, with high rates of mortality and morbidity. However, with the advances in technology and the improvements in surgical technique, thoracic surgery has progressed to minimise trauma to the patient while still maintaining oncological and surgical principles. State-of-the-art technology, combined with wide variety of old and new surgical techniques give the thoracic surgeon a formidable armamentarium. Although there has been a focus on reducing the number and size of surgical wounds, considerations other than surgical approach can reduce the trauma suffered by the patient. Preservation of pulmonary function via organ preservation and anaesthetic techniques to further minimise the systemic inflammation such as non-intubated anaesthesia have also been shown to improve patient outcomes. This article aims to review the recent advances in minimally invasive thoracic surgery.

This study explored the views of patients and their caregivers on the perceived risk of relapse and role of medication in preventing relapse, and the potential significance. Specific interventions addressing these areas should be considered in developing relapse prevention programs.