Premium
Contralateral pneumothorax following thoracotomy for vertebrectomy
Author(s) -
Spears F. D.,
Jardine A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1996.tb07855.x
Subject(s) - medicine , vertebrectomy , pneumothorax , thoracotomy , surgery , cardiothoracic surgery , pleural cavity , resection
Summary A 21‐year‐old woman underwent correction of congenital thoracic kyphoscoliosis. The procedure was completed in two stages. The first stage involved right thoracotomy and anterior vertebrectomy. Following positional obstruction of her right‐sided chest drain she developed a very large, left‐sided pneumothorax in the immediate postoperative period. No attempt at central venous line placement had been made on the left side. Breach of the midline at vertebrectomy may allow pleural gas to cross and cause a contralateral pneumothorax.