OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of intercostal nerve protection by intercostal muscle (ICM) flap in post-thoracotomy pain improvement compared to intracostal suturing. METHODS In a randomized controlled trial, ninety-four patients undergoing posterolateral thoracotomy surgery were divided into two subgroups. Intracostal sutures in isolation and in combination with ICM flap techniques were us...

Background. Thoracotomy is one of the hardest surgical incisions to deal with and easy leading to atelectasis or pneumonia. Investigation of minimally invasive techniques has been the major concern for surgeons. To explore the feasibility of local anesthesia in thoracotomy including minithoracotomy and Video-Assistant Thoracic Surgery (VATS) for diagnosis and treatment of Pleura-pulmonary disea...

PURPOSE Emergency department resuscitative thoracotomy is an intervention of last resort for the acutely dying victim of trauma. In light of improvements in pre-hospital emergency systems, improved operative strategies for survival such as damage control and improvements in critical care medicine, the most extreme of resuscitation efforts should be re-evaluated for the potential survivor, with ...

OBJECTIVES Aortic valve replacement through conventional sternotomy still represents the gold-standard surgical approach for aortic valve disease. However, given the increasing number of patients with comorbidities, strategies that can improve operative results are always sought. Minimally invasive aortic valve surgery, although related to a steep learning curve, might be associated with improv...

BACKGROUND VATS has become a preferred method for benign surgical conditions, yet still remains controversial for malignancies. The purpose of this study was to review our results of pulmonary metastasectomies using both conventional open thoracotomy and VATS techniques. METHODS This is a retrospective chart review of pulmonary metastasectomies performed from 1986 to 2006. The surgical approa...