What does thoracoscopy mean?
Listen to pronunciation. (THOR-uh-KOS-koh-pee) Examination of the inside of the chest, using a thoracoscope. A thoracoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing.
What is a thoracoscopic approach?
Thoracoscopy is a procedure a doctor uses to look at the space inside the chest (outside of the lungs). This is done with a thoracoscope, a thin, flexible tube with a light and a small video camera on the end. The tube is put in through a small cut made near the lower end of the shoulder blade between the ribs.
Who performs a thoracoscopy?
At the very least, a pulmonol- ogist who is proficient in chest-tube placement and management should be entitled to acquire the skills necessary to perform thoracoscopic procedures involv- ing the parietal pleura and the pleural space. examinations of pleural fluid.
What is a Thoracoplasty procedure?
Thoracoplasty is a surgical procedure that allows the. reduction of the thoracic cavity by removing the ribs. It was originally conceived to collapse cavities of lungs af- fected by tuberculosis and gained worldwide acceptance in such a setting.
How long does it take to recover from a thoracoscopy?
How long it will take to recover depends on what was done during the procedure. But you probably will need to take it easy at home for at least 1 to 2 weeks.
Is thoracoscopy an endoscopy?
Introduction. Medical thoracoscopy or pleuroscopy is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure utilized by pulmonologists to evaluate, diagnose, and treat plueral pathologies of the lung, mainly pleural effusions. The term thoracoscopy creates confusion because it refers to both the medical and surgical procedures.
How is a thoracotomy performed?
A thoracotomy is surgery to open your chest. During this procedure, a surgeon makes an incision in the chest wall between your ribs, usually to operate on your lungs. Through this incision, the surgeon can remove part or all of a lung. Thoracotomy is often done to treat lung cancer.
What is the medical definition of thoracoscopy?
Medical Definition of thoracoscopy. : examination of the chest and especially the pleural cavity by means of a thoracoscope … specializes in thoracoscopy, which permits examination of the lungs or other parts in the chest cavity without making a large incision.
What are the indications for thoracoscopy?
The major indications for thoracoscopy are pleural and lung biopsies for lung diseases. Thoracoscopy is performed as a therapeutic procedure with the help of video technology. This is called video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and is performed by thoracic surgeons.
Can a thoracoscopy be used to treat lung cancer?
It is commonly used for people with mesothelioma and lung cancer. Thoracoscopy can sometimes be used to treat small lung cancers by removing just the part of the lung that contains the tumor (wedge resection) or the lobe of a lung (lobectomy) if the tumor is larger.
What is the history of thoracoscopy?
Thoracoscopy is not a new technique; H.C. Jacobeus, the Swedish internist, was the first to perform thoracoscopy in 1910, as a diagnostic procedure for exudative pleuritis 1. H.C. Jacobeus published the first series of thoracoscopy cases in 1921, describing the value of thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant effusions.
