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Pneumonia - Surgery

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of pneumonia.

Surgery:

Although most patients with pneumonia do not need invasive therapy, it may be necessary in patients with abscesses, empyema, or certain other complications.

Thoracotomy

Thoracotomy is the standard surgery for pneumonia. It requires general anesthesia and an incision to open the chest and view the lungs. This procedure allows the surgeon to remove dead or damaged lung tissue. In severe cases, the entire lobe of the lung is removed. This is called a lobectomy. Remaining healthy lung tissue re-expands after surgery to make up for tissue that has been removed.

Chest Tubes

Chest tubes are used to drain infected pleural fluid. Tubes are not typically required for pneumonia or abscesses. The tubes are inserted after the patient is given a local anesthetic. They remain in place for 2 - 4 days, and are removed in one quick movement. This can be very distressing, although some patients experience no discomfort. Complications of chest tubes include:

Accidental injury to the lung
Fluid build-up within the lung if the pleural fluid is removed too rapidly
Infection
Perforation of the diaphragm

Removing the chest tubes may cause the lung to collapse. In this case, a chest tube may be needed to inflate the lung.

Chest tube insertion - series
Click the icon to see an illustrated series detailing chest tube insertion.

Resources

www.lungusa.org -- American Lung Association
www3.niaid.nih.gov -- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
www.cdc.gov -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

References

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Reviewed last on: 3/29/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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