OBJECTIVES To report a case series of thoracic bite trauma in dogs and cats and to evaluate risk factors for mortality. METHODS A retrospective study concerning thoracic bite wounds in dogs and cats was performed. Lesions were categorized by depth of penetration: no wound, superficial, deep or penetrating. Thoracic radiographic reports were reviewed. Lesion management was classified as non-su...

Small lung nodules undiagnosed by percutaneous needle biopsy have traditionally gone to thoracotomy for diagnosis. We describe a technique using computed tomographic needle/wire lung localization of these nodules, to be resected using video-assisted thoracoscopy. This is less invasive and less painful than thoracotomy and provides for cost-effective definitive diagnosis.

A 56 year old man with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator was admitted with chest pain and collapse. Erosion of the left ventricle by an epicardial patch was confirmed by thoracotomy, but surgical repair was impossible. This rare complication should be considered in patients with a history of cardioverter defibrillators implanted by thoracotomy.

This is a step-by-step video demonstration of a left extrapleural pneumonectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma, including thoracotomy incision, extrapleural mobilization of tumor, resection of diaphragm, mediastinal nodal dissection and division of hilar vessels followed by reconstruction of diaphragm and closure of the thoracotomy.

OBJECTIVE Removing or sampling lymph nodes from the bilateral paratracheal area through a left thoracotomy is not a standard procedure in patients with lung cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a technique without ductus arteriosus division and mobilization of the aortic arch and to compare the number of lymph nodes resected in left-sided dissections to the number of...

BACKGROUND Since 2001 we have utilized a novel surgical approach for Pancoast tumors in which lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection are performed directly though the chest wall defect. The defect is then patched at the completion of the procedure ("cut-in patch-out") thereby avoiding a separate thoracotomy with rib spreading. We undertook a study to compare outcomes of this novel "cut...