The impact of bronchiectasis on the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) after extra-pulmonary surgery in patients with airflow limitation is not well elucidated. So, the aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of bronchiectasis on PPC following extra-pulmonary surgery in patients with airflow limitation. A retrospective analysis of 437 patients with airflow limitations, including 62 patients with bronchiectasis, was conducted. The overall rate of PPC was significantly higher in patients with bronchiectasis than in those without bronchiectasis (40.3% vs. 21.6%, p=0.001). The occurrence of pleural effusion (29.0% vs. 15.5%, p=0.009), atelectasis (19.4% vs. 9.9%, p=0.028), and acute exacerbation (8.1% vs. 1.3%, p=0.007) was significantly higher in patients with bronchiectasis than in those without bronchiectasis, while there were no significant differences in the occurrence of pneumonia and respiratory failure between the two groups. The analysis revealed that bronchiectasis was associated with increased PPC (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=2.73, 95% CI, 1.47-5.06, p=0.001), which was especially significant in patients who did not use bronchodilators (adjusted OR=3.24, 95% CI, 1.57-6.68, p=0.002). Our study indicates that bronchiectasis is associated with an increased risk of PPC following extra-pulmonary surgery in patients with airflow limitation, and bronchodilators may prevent PPC in these patients.