Successful Tractotomy Technique for a Penetrating Lung Injury in a Patient with One Lung.

We report the case of a patient with penetrating chest trauma (right chest) who had undergone a left pneumonectomy due to pulmonary tuberculosis 24 years ago. We performed an emergent thoracotomy, finding an opening of the penetrating wound in a lower-lobe basal segment of the right lung. A stapled tractotomy was performed along the tract. Bleeding control and air-leakage control was done easily and rapidly. The patient was discharged without any complications on the seventh day of admission. Tractotomy can be a good option for treating penetrating lung injuries in patients with limited lung function who need emergent surgery. PMID: 29124035 [PubMed]
Source: Korean Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Tags: Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Source Type: research