Protective ventilation for lung cancer surgery, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle

Pulmonary complications are the most frequently occurring morbidity following pulmonary resection (1). It is no wonder then, that thoracic surgeons have constantly searched for ways to reduce this number. The use of lung protective strategies with low tidal volume ventilation has been shown to reduce mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (2). Whether or not these strategies also provide benefit for patients undergoing single lung ventilation during lung cancer surgery is the focus of the randomized trial presented by Marret et al. (3).