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thoracotomy
Indications:
- used to gain access to the thoracic organs
- heart (most common)
- open heart surgery
- cardiac valve replacement for
- *valvular heart disease
- CABG for
- *coronary artery disease
- *unstable angina,
- *myocardial infarction
- lungs
- lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancer
- esophagus
- perforated esophagus
- thoracic aorta
- thoracic aortic aneurysm repair
- anterior spine
- spinal neoplasms
- mediastinotomy
Procedure:
- incision through the chest wall.
Related
chest tube; thoracostomy; pleural drainage
Specific
exploratory thoracotomy
mediastinotomy
General
cardiothoracic surgery
References
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary 27th ed, Williams &
Wilkins, Baltimore, 1999
- Wikipedia: Thoracotomy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoracotomy