Abstract
Anesthesia, surgical requirements, and patients' unique pathophysiology all combine to make the accumulated knowledge of respiratory physiology and lung mechanics vital in patient management. This article take a case-based approach to discuss how the complex interactions between anesthesia, surgery, and patient disease affect patient care with respect to pulmonary pathophysiology and clinical decision making. Two disparate scenarios are examined: a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing a lung resection, and a patient with coronary artery disease undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. The impacts of important concepts in pulmonary physiology and respiratory mechanics on clinical management decisions are discussed.