Objective: To compare the application effects of routine care and routine care combined with specialized respiratory tract care in patients after cardiothoracic surgery. Methods: This study involved 102 patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery in our hospital from September 2024 to December 2025. They were randomly divided into a control group (51 cases) and an observation group (51 cases). The control group received routine postoperative care for cardiothoracic surgery, while the observation group received specialized respiratory tract care in addition to routine care. The postoperative recovery, effective expectoration rate, and incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The observation group had shorter ICU stays, drainage tube indwelling times, and hospital stays than the control group, with p < 0.05. The effective expectoration rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, with p < 0.05. The total incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, with p < 0.05. Conclusion: Adding specialized respiratory tract care to routine postoperative care in cardiothoracic surgery can effectively improve the effective expectoration rate, reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications, and promote postoperative recovery in patients.