Surgical management of pneumothorax

Surgical management of pneumothorax

Pleurectomy and pleurodesis Surgery for pneumothorax can be performed by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (V ATS) or as an open procedure (thora cotomy). The object of the exercise is threefold: /uni25CF to deal with any leaks from the lung; /uni25CF to search for and obliterate any blebs and bullae; /uni25CF to make the visceral pleura adherent to the parietal pleura so that any subsequent leaks are contained and the lung cannot completely collapse. Pleural adhesion is achieved in one of three ways: 1 pleurectomy : systematically stripping the parietal pleura from the chest wall; 2 pleural abrasion : a scourer is used to scrape o ff the slick surface of the parietal pleura; 3 chemical pleurodesis : usually talc is used and is insuf flated into the chest cavity . ) (f ) ( g) (e (h)

penetration of the skin, muscle and pleura; (c) blunt dissection of the parietal (f) digital examination along the tract into the pleural space; (g) withdrawal of