Thoracoscopy for trauma

Thoracoscopy in chest trauma: an update

The role of thoracoscopy in the management of patients with chest injuries is constantly being redefined as more reports on its use continue to emerge in the literature. As of today video-thoracoscopy has been used mainly as a diagnostic tool for certain occult injuries, such as of the diaphragm, as well as a minimally invasive management option in specific therapeutic situations including earl...

Thoracoscopy in the subacute management of patients with thoracoabdominal trauma.

Anesthesia for thoracoscopy: an overview.

Advances in technology have provided the means to reduce the length of stay for some surgical patients while offering increased quality of care. Videoscopic surgery is a rapidly expanding technology with increasing applications. When used in place of open thoracotomy, thoracoscopy offers the patient a less traumatic treatment modality. This procedure presents challenges to the anesthetist in ch...

Diagnostic Thoracoscopy

Since the introduction of video-imaging and endoscopic surgical interventions, there is a worldwide renewed interest in thoracoscopy. However, thoracoscopy for diagnosis of pleural and pulmonary disease has been performed for more than 30 years. An overview is presented here of the results and experiences in the past 3 decades of thoracoscopy for diagnosis of pulmonary and pleural disease. Thor...

Severe heart laceration in penetrating chest trauma: thoracoscopy as a key to diagnosis.

A patient had attempted suicide by firing a butcher's gun into his left chest 3 cm caudal to the mammilla. Transthoracic echocardiography and CT-scan showed a discrete hematopneumothorax but no pericardial effusion, the cardio respiratory condition was stable. As the bolt had been aimed directly at the heart of the patient, thoracoscopy was performed to rule out cardiac trauma. Thoracoscopy sho...