Objective:–Thoracotomy is a common major surgical procedure. It is associated with high potential risk for postoperative pulmonary complications,.The aim of this prospective audit is to study the demographic  and clinical characteristics of patients undergoing thoracotomy due to lung and pleural pathologies of various indications and to evaluatemortality, morbidity and assessment  of outcome in terms of PFT.

Method: 60 patients were included in the study whounderwentthoracotomy. Parameters studied  were demographic  and clinical  characteristics , pre op PFT, post op morbidity, ICU stay, hospital stay and inhospitalmortality , outcome and post operative  PFT at  3^rd  and 6^th month.

Result:The mean age were 34.61 ±  12.8 yrs. Indications were benign lesions (5%), malignant lesions (5%) and infectious lesions . (90%).  Overall mortality in our series was 5%. In lung resection group spirometry variables ( FVC and FEV1)decreased  significantly from pre op to  3month after operation and increased again  from 3 to 6 month . In decortication group spirometryvariable  ( FVC  and FEV1) after 6 months were significantly raised in comparison to pre op values .

Conclusion:In our study, following lung resection, spirometry parameters of the patients were decreased significantly from preoperative to post operative 3^rd  months and increased again significantly from 3^rd  to 6^th month post resection. Functional loss however was FVC –14.8% & FEV1 –16.8%).  Following decortication, there was an increase in FVC from 55% to 83 % and from59% to 87 % in FEV1 from  the   predicted  value after 6^th month.