Thoracic surgery has made important progress thanks to parallel advances in anesthetic techniques, which have lowered mortality and complication rates. Pneumonectomy, however, continues to carry a high risk of perioperative death and morbidity, with complications involving the heart and lung being the most common. Pneumonectomy requires careful preoperative assessment to identify patients at high risk of cardiac complications. However, there is no evidence available on the best approach to take in determining risk of impaired lung function after pneumonectomy. Postoperative arrhythmias increase mortality, although evidence does not suggest a need for systematic prophylactic treatment of patients who will undergo lung resection. The incidence of acute myocardial infarction ranges from 1.5% to 5% and diagnosis is difficult because most episodes are silent. The incidence of post-pneumonectomy pulmonary edema is between 4% and 7% and evidence indicates that prevention is the most important therapeutic measure. Patients tend to have greater risk of pneumonia after thoracotomy, but few studies have provided a high level of evidence for the usefulness of antibiotic prophylaxis in chest surgery. The aim of the present study was to review the literature on the most common complications of surgery on the lung in order to support decision making based on the integration of knowledge and clinical judgment acquired with experience. A MEDLINE search was carried out to locate studies published from 1980 through January 2005.