Introduction Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States; of these, lung cancer is the most common cause in both males and females. Although the lung cancer death rate has declined over the years primarily because…
Introduction An anterior mediastinal mass is one of the most challenging pathologies an anesthesiologist may face during his or her career. To safely care for these patients, it is imperative to know the relevant anatomy of the mediastinum, understand how…
Introduction Thoracic trauma is the cause of 25% to 50% of all fatal injuries, making it the leading cause of death in the first 3 decades of life. , In addition, injuries to the thorax are accountable for more than…
One Way Valves in the Treatment of Emphysema and Persistent Air Leaks Emphysema Emphysema is one component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death in the United States. Emphysema has been defined as “a condition…
Introduction Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is one of the major innovations in surgery. Within less than 30 years after its modern introduction, almost all of the operations, with only few exceptions, can be performed via VATS. It provides several benefits…
Introduction The patient with cardiovascular disease (CVD) presenting for lung resection surgery has special concern. Identifying significant cardiac risk factors provides information to better quantify the risks of a possible cardiac event in the perioperative period. Cardiac complications in the…
Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Emphysema is one component of COPD, and it is estimated that 3.1 million adults in the United States are currently diagnosed with emphysema.…
Introduction Clinical use of extracorporeal ventilatory support technologies is increasing exponentially with an expanding range of indications for patients with cardiopulmonary disease. Rapid adoption is occurring despite limited basic and translational research on extracorporeal support and only a handful of…
Introduction Thoracotomy is required to get surgical access to the thoracic cavity through the chest wall to the pleural space and the thoracic organs, such as heart, lung, thymus, and esophagus. The principles and techniques of thoracotomy are differentiated in…
Introduction Anesthesiologists are responsible for the management of the surgical cases not only during the intraoperative stage, but rather through the entire perioperative period. In the multidisciplinary context of perioperative medicine, anesthesiology is an important component in addressing the challenges…