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A few small incisions are made and surgical tools are inserted into the chest cavity aided by a small video camera. The video images will be projected onto a screen that the surgeon can see. Once the problem area is located the small tools that were previously inserted will be utilized to perform the surgery. [3]
Lung surgery is a type of thoracic surgery involving the repair or removal of lung tissue, [1] and can be used to treat a variety of conditions ranging from lung cancer to pulmonary hypertension. Common operations include anatomic and nonanatomic resections, pleurodesis and lung transplants .
After a pneumonectomy is performed, changes in the thoracic cavity occur to compensate for the altered anatomy. The remaining lung hyperinflates as well as shifting over along with the heart towards the now empty space. This space is full of air initially after surgery, but then it is absorbed, and fluid eventually takes its place. [9]
A thoracotomy is a surgical procedure to gain access into the pleural space of the chest. [1] It is performed by surgeons (emergency physicians or paramedics under certain circumstances) to gain access to the thoracic organs, most commonly the heart, the lungs, or the esophagus, or for access to the thoracic aorta or the anterior spine (the latter may be necessary to access tumors in the spine).
When the condition is caused by surgery it is called surgical emphysema. [6] The term spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema is used when the cause is not clear. [5] Subcutaneous emphysema is not typically dangerous in and of itself, however it can be a symptom of very dangerous underlying conditions, such as pneumothorax. [7]
With these conditions, the lung will not expand to fill the thorax space. A major surgery called a pleuropneumonectomy can be the only available option, but only if the patient has been worked up before the surgery. Pleuropneumonectomy is a major surgery with a very high mortality and high invasiveness. [3]
A lung cavity or pulmonary cavity is an abnormal, thick-walled, air-filled space within the lung. [1] Cavities in the lung can be caused by infections, cancer, autoimmune conditions, trauma, congenital defects, [2] or pulmonary embolism. [3] The most common cause of a single lung cavity is lung cancer. [4]
Chest tube clogging can lead to retained blood around the heart and lungs that can contribute to complications and increase mortality. [11] A common complication after thoracic surgery that arises within 30–50% of patients are air leaks. If a chest tube clogs when there is an air leak the patient will develop a pneumothorax.