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Ann Thorac Surg 2004;77:1937
© 2004 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Invited commentary

University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Section of Thoracic Surgery 1900 University Blvd THT Room 712 Birmingham, AL 35294, USA

e-mail: rcerfolio@uab.edu

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Dr Brunelli and colleagues have presented another important study on the common problem of air leaks. This trial is well designed, performed, analyzed, and written. On the surface, their findings seem to be contrary to the ones Marshall and we have reported. However careful scrutiny of Brunelli's data actually shows that it may support the findings in those previous prospective studies.

The management of chest tubes is only one way to manage air leaks. Intra-operative preventative measures rather than post-operative management are always more important for any post-operative complication. Some intra-operative techniques include: fissure-less surgery, sealants, buttressing of staple lines, pneumoperitoneum, and pleural tents. Although chest . . . [Full Text of this Article]