Ann Thorac Surg 1997;64:1400-1401
© 1997 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Discussion
Discussion
| The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below. |
See also page 1396.
DR. GEOFFREY M. GRAEBER (Morgantown, WV):I congratulate Dr Meyer and his associates on a fine, prospective, randomized study that addressed the problem of retained hemothorax after chest trauma. I am grateful to them for providing me with a copy of their manuscript well in advance of the meeting.
The problem of retained hemothorax in patients suffering chest trauma is an important one, especially today when there is an emphasis on shortening hospital stays and diminishing hospital costs. In our experience, and in that of others, retained hemothorax after chest trauma often leads to fibrothorax or empyema. Both these conditions require subsequent surgical intervention for correction. Many of these patients require long hospitalizations with prolonged time in the intensive care unit. In more severe cases the patients may not be weaned from ventilators until surgical intervention to reexpand the afflicted lungs has been achieved.
Doctor Meyer and his associates have clearly shown that thoracoscopy, or VATS, is an effective, cost-efficient procedure to remove retained hemothoraces and clot after unsuccessful drainage using tube thoracostomy. Several of the points they have made require emphasis. The earlier the problem is addressed the easier it is to remove the clot. The patient should be prepared for a standard open thoracotomy as this procedure will be required in a minority of chest trauma patients, usually . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Related Article
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Early Evacuation of Traumatic Retained Hemothoraces Using Thoracoscopy: A Prospective, Randomized Trial
- Dan M. Meyer, Michael E. Jessen, Michael A. Wait, and Aaron S. Estrera
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 1997 64: 1396-1400.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
Copyright © 1997 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
