A bullectomy is a type of surgery that may be used to treat certain people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have lung damage caused by emphysema. There are different types of emphysema, and one type mainly affects the upper part of the lungs. As this kind of emphysema progresses, it can destroy the walls of the millions of tiny air sacs in the lungs. These air sacs are called alveoli. When the walls of hundreds of these alveoli are destroyed, it causes the tiny sacs to combine into larger air sacs called bullae. These bullae do not play a role in the lungs’ function of absorbing oxygen from the air and transferring it into the bloodstream. Instead, they just take up room in the lungs. They can press down on the surrounding parts of the lungs and can keep blood from flowing to the healthier sections of the lungs, which reduces the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen. This can worsen COPD symptoms, such as breathlessness. During a bullectomy, surgeons operate to remove bullae from a patient’s lungs. When they are removed, it can help the healthier parts of the lungs to start working better. Read More

A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung. A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse. In most cases, only a portion of the lung collapses. A pneumothorax can be caused by a blunt or penetrating chest injury, certain medical procedures, or damage from underlying lung disease. Or it may occur for no obvious reason. Symptoms usually include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. On some occasions, a collapsed lung can be a life-threatening event. Treatment for a pneumothorax usually involves inserting a flexible tube or needle between the ribs to remove the excess air. However, a small pneumothorax may heal on its own. Read More

Chest drain is inserted into the pleural space for drainage of: • Air in pneumothorax. • Blood in hemothorax. • Fluid in pleural effusion, particularly in malignant effusion. Pus in empyema. • Postoperatively in thoracotomy or cardiac surgery. Read More

The ideal age for intervention in patients with symptomatic Pectus Excavatum is from 8 years old to pre-pubescence, 12-14 years old (adolescents prior to growth spurt). It is advisable to have the procedure before the age of 20 so that Pectus Excavatum consequential pathologies (e.g. scoliosis, rib deformities, etc.) neither appear nor worsen.

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Your doctor might order a mediastinoscopy with biopsy for several reasons. They may want to:

• See if a cancer in the lung has spread to the lymph nodes

• Check for other lymphatic cancers, including Hodgkin’s disease or lymphoma

• Identify infections, such as tuberculosis

Doctors often use mediastinoscopy to understand how far lung or other cancers have advanced. This is also known as staging the cancer, or determining what stage your cancer has reached. This information can help you and your doctor select the most appropriate course of treatment.

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Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to diagnose and treat problems in your chest.

During a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery procedure, a tiny camera (thoracoscope) and surgical instruments are inserted into your chest through small incisions in your chest wall. The thoracoscope transmits images of the inside of your chest onto a video monitor, guiding the surgeon in performing the procedure.

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A lobectomy is the surgical removal of a lobe of an organ. It most often refers to the removal of a section of the lung, but it can also refer the liver, brain, thyroid gland, or other organs. Every organ is made up of many sections that perform different, specific tasks. In the case of the lungs, the sections are called lobes. The right lung has three lobes, which are the upper, middle, and lower lobes. The left lung has two lobes, the upper and lower lobes.

"In most cases, surgeons perform a lobectomy to remove a cancerous portion of an organ and to prevent the cancer from spreading. This may not entirely get rid of the disease, but it can eliminate the primary source of it. A lobectomy is the most common way to treat lung cancer. Surgeons may also perform lobectomies to treat:

• Fungal infections

• Benign tumors

• Emphysema

• Lung abscesses

• Tuberculosis

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Having a lobectomy can stop or slow the spread of cancer, infections, and diseases. Performing this surgery may also allow your doctor to remove a portion of an organ that affects the function of other organs. For example, a benign tumor may not be cancerous but may press against blood vessels, preventing adequate blood flow to other parts of the body. By removing the lobe with the tumor, your surgeon can effectively solve the problem.

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Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is a surgical treatment option for various forms of hyperhidrosis. In which a portion of the sympathetic nerve trunk in the thoracic region is destroyed. It is conducted by a vascular or neurosurgeon under general anaesthesia. It has a very high success rate for treating palmar hyperhidrosis but carries a significant risk of compensatory or “rebound” sweating. Compensatory sweating occurs in areas such as the back or lower limbs weeks to months after ETS surgery. Compensatory hyperhidrosis can be difficult to treat and usually persists for life. An in-depth discussion with your vascular surgeon or neurologist is needed prior to considering ETS surgery.

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