Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Whole lung lavage (WLL), also called lung washing, is a medical procedure in which the patient's lungs are washed with saline (salt water) by filling and draining repeatedly. It is used to treat pulmonary alveolar proteinosis , in which excess lung surfactant proteins prevent the patient from breathing.
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 .
The "Heber-Drain" is based on the Heber principle, which uses hydrostatic pressure to transfer fluid from the chest to a collection canister. It produces permanent passive suction. As the Heber drain is a classical gravity drain, the canister must be placed below chest level to be active. The difference in height between the floor and the ...
Thoracentesis / ˌ θ ɔː r ə s ɪ n ˈ t iː s ɪ s /, also known as thoracocentesis (from Greek θώραξ (thōrax, GEN thōrakos) 'chest, thorax' and κέντησις (kentēsis) 'pricking, puncture'), pleural tap, needle thoracostomy, or needle decompression (often used term), is an invasive medical procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic ...
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.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
Pleurodesis is performed to prevent recurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax or pleural effusion, and can be done chemically or mechanically.It is generally avoided in patients with cystic fibrosis if possible, because lung transplantation becomes more difficult following this procedure.
Complications are not common but include infection, lung abscess, and bronchopleural fistula (a fistula between the pleural space and the bronchial tree). [4] A bronchopleural fistula results when there is a communication between the laceration, a bronchiole, and the pleura; it can cause air to leak into the pleural space despite the placement of a chest tube. [4]