How long does it take to recover from a thoracotomy?
It is common to feel tired for 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. Your chest may hurt and be swollen for up to 6 weeks. It may ache or feel stiff for up to 3 months. You may also feel tightness, itching, numbness, or tingling around the incision for up to 3 months.
How long do you stay in the hospital after a thoracotomy?
Most people stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days after open thoracotomy. Hospital stay for a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is most often shorter. You may spend time in the intensive care unit (ICU) after either surgery.
Which muscle is exercised after thoracotomy?
However, it involves cutting at least one (latissimus dorsi) and sometimes many (trapezius, rhomboids, serratus anterior) of the major chest wall muscles. Experience has shown it to be one of the most painful surgical incisions [1–3].
Why is a thoracotomy so painful?
Factors affecting thoracotomy pain The posterolateral approach to thoracotomy provides the best surgical access. However, it involves dividing the latissimus dorsi, and at times the serratus anterior and trapezius muscles, resulting in one of the most painful surgical incisions.
Can pneumothorax come back after surgery?
VATS blebectomy and parietal pleurectomy is a safe procedure for treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax in young patients, with a 6% long-term recurrence rate in our experience. Postoperative recurrence significantly correlates with female gender and with prolonged air leakage after surgery.
Why is a pneumonectomy performed?
A pneumonectomy is a surgical procedure to remove one lung. It is the most extensive type of lung removal surgery. Surgeons most often perform it to remove lung masses and growths, like non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but sometimes doctors will remove a lung to treat other conditions, such as: COPD.
What type of doctor does thoracic surgery?
Becoming a thoracic surgeon Cardiothoracic surgeons receive training and board certification in thoracic surgery. Surgeons may choose to focus on cardiac surgery, general thoracic surgery, transplant surgery, or even a combination of different procedures. Dr.
How many people survive a thoracotomy?
The survival rate was 13% (61 of 463) overall, 2% (3 of 193) for blunt, 22% (58 of 269) for all penetrating, 8% (10 of 131) for gunshot, 34% (48 of 141) for stab-wound patients, and 54% (21 of 39) for patients who underwent emergency thoracotomy in the OR.