Awake thoracic surgery is a feasible and safe alternative to general anesthesia for pulmonary biopsy in interstitial lung disease patients, but there is still no evidence as to its superiority in terms of outcome. However, there is extensive literature about the effect of anesthetic drugs and surgery on diaphragmatic function. Furthermore, in thoracic surgery, diaphragmatic dysfunction was associated with a higher occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications. To assess the impact of general anesthesia on diaphragmatic function, the investigators conducted an observational prospective trial. The investigators measured both diaphragmatic excursion and Thickening Fraction at baseline and 12 hours after surgery together with pulmonary function tests and gas exchange data.
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Diaphragmatic maximal function
Timeframe: 12 hours