Therapeutic Whole-Lung Lavage for Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis: A Procedural Update.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a disease caused by increased accumulation and impaired clearance of surfactant by alveolar macrophages. This narrative review summarizes the role of therapeutic whole-lung lavage in the management of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. We describe the preprocedural evaluation, indications, and anesthetic considerations, along with step-by step technical aspects of the procedure, postoperative recovery, potential complications, and long-term outcomes.