Thoracotomy is a medical surgical procedure that consists of opening the chest cavity and that can occur in different regions of the chest, with the aim of providing the most direct route of access to the affected organ and sufficient width to allow a good operative field, avoiding organ damage.
There are different types of thoracotomy, which must be performed depending on the organ to be accessed and the procedure that needs to be performed, and it can be used to analyze or remove injured organs or structures, control bleeding, treat a gas embolism, perform cardiac massage, among others.
Types of thoracotomy
There are 4 different types of thoracotomy, which are related to the region where the incision is made:
- Posterolateral thoracotomy: this is the most common procedure, and the method generally used to access the lungs, to remove a lung or portion of a lung due to cancer, for example. During this surgery, an incision is made along the side of the chest towards the back, between the ribs, and the ribs are separated, and it may be necessary to remove one of them in order to view the lung. Median thoracotomy: In this type of thoracotomy, the incision is made along the sternum, in order to open access to the chest. The procedure is usually used when heart surgery is to be performed. Axillary thoracotomy: In this type of thoracotomy, an incision is made in the region of the axilla, which is generally used to treat pneumothorax, which consists of the presence of air in the pleural cavity, between the lung and the chest wall. Anterolateral thoracotomy: This procedure is generally used in emergency cases, where an incision is made along the front of the chest, which may be necessary after trauma to the chest or to allow direct access to the heart after a cardiac arrest.
Possible side effects
Some of the complications that can occur after performing a thoracotomy are:
- Ventilation after surgery; Leakage of air, requiring the prolonged use of a chest tube after the procedure; Infection; Bleeding; Formation of blood clots; Complications resulting from general anesthesia; Heart attack or arrhythmias; Alterations of the vocal cords; Bronchopleural fistula;
In addition, in some cases, the region where the thoracotomy was performed can cause pain for a long time after surgery. In these cases, or if the person detects an anomaly during the recovery period, the doctor must be informed.
