Surgery : Thoracic

Thoracotomy

Surgery in the thoracic cavity is complicated by the need to maintain breathing artificially whilst the chest is open. Additionally the lungs, heart and major blood vessels often obstruct acces to the area of interest.

Thoracotomy may be performed on the side between the ribs or more often by removing one rib. Access is limited to a small area, but healing is usually quick with minimal supportive care being needed. For cases requiring wider access a sternal split procedure is performed (similar to that performed in people having open heart surgery). This is a much more major procedure and healing takes a lot longer. A mich less invassive method is to use endoscopes andendoscopic instruments which require just 2 or 3 small incisions. Unfortunately there are not a lot of thoracic procedures where thoracoscopy provides sufficient access.

Lung surgery

The lungs can be affected by developmental problems, localised infections, abscesses, foreign bodies and tumours. Lung lobectomy (partial or total) or complete removal of one lung are indicated in some cases. The use of modern "stapling" devices speeds up these procedures and sometimes permits them to be performed in a minimally invassive endoscopic procedure.

Preparing to remove a lung tumour

Mediastinal surgery

The oesophagus, trachea and major blood vessels pass through the mediastinum (the middle support tissues of the chest). Lymph nodes and the thymus are also present here. Removal of thymomas, tracheal and oesophageal tumours and foreign bodies within the oesophagus or that have penetrated from outside are all possible reasons for thoracic surgery.

Vascular surgery

The most frequent open cardiovascular surgery performed in animals is for the correcton of patent ductus arteriosus. It is now possible to correct some of the other developmental heart abnormalities using fluoroscopically guided remote vascular access, passing devices up blood vessels to the heart.