Ferrando C, et al. - The effects of individualised perioperative lung-protective ventilation (based on the open-lung approach [OLA]) on postoperative complications, relative to standard protective ventilation, were determined in patients who underwent abdominal surgery. No reduction was noted in the risk of postoperative complications with the different perioperative open lung approaches tested in this study {OLA–iCPAP (individualised intraoperative ventilation [individualised PEEP after a lung recruitment manoeuvre] plus individualised postoperative continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP]), and OLA–CPAP (intraoperative individualised ventilation plus postoperative CPAP)}, compared with standard lung-protective mechanical ventilation.