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Medicaltalks over 6 years ago
Open thoracotomy!
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Open thoracotomy!

This one has great visibility of the lungs and heart. This is an emergency open thoracotomy (surgical opening of the chest cavity, or thorax) that is performed upon the anterior chest wall. It is performed by surgeons to gain access to the thoracic organs, most commonly the heart, the lungs, or the esophagus, or for access to the thoracic aorta or the anterior spine (the latter necessary in case of tumors in the spine). A resuscitative or emergency thoracotomy may be performed to resuscitate a patient who is near death as a result of a chest injury. It provides access to the chest cavity to control injury-related bleeding from the heart, cardiac compressions to restore a normal heart rhythm, or to relieve pressure on the heart caused by cardiac tamponade (accumulation of fluid in the space between the heart's muscle and outer lining). Photo by @the_akrish

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Top rated comment
over 6 years ago

Often done in the ER !@

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