Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive procedure that doctors use to diagnose and treat chest conditions. During a VATS procedure, a surgeon inserts a thin tube with a ...

The insertion of a chest tube is a common procedure in trauma care, and the Advanced Trauma Life Support program teaches the insertion of chest tubes as an essential and life-saving skill. The purpose ...

Pneumothorax is a medical emergency: the collection of air in the pleural space separating the lung from the chest wall, causing it to collapse and resulting in suffocation. Pneumothorax is caused by ...

A pulmonary bleb is a small collection of air between the lung and the outer surface of the lung (visceral pleura) usually found in the upper lobe of the lung. When a bleb ruptures the air escapes ...

A 54-year-old man with a history of cirrhosis following liver transplantation presented with shortness of breath and was found to have a right-sided pleural effusion secondary to pulmonary infection.

Pleurectomy and decortication is a surgical procedure that may be recommended for patients with mesothelioma or other tumors or diseases affecting the inner chest. This involves removing diseased ...

Placement of a chest tube may be necessary for management of pleural space disease in mammals. This column describes two accepted techniques for thoracostomy tube placement in the dog. A thoracostomy ...