Surgical insertion of a chest tube
Insertion of a chest tube is a common procedure. Indications count pneumo- and hemothorax among others; and in acute situations, a chest tube can be lifesaving. This video illustrates the surgical insertion of a chest tube in a patient suffering from hydro-pneumothorax. The video shows the identification of the anatomical structures that create the safe triangle, and a safe insertion of a chest tube into the pleural cavity.
Chest tube insertion is a basic surgical procedure, often conducted by residential surgeons. It is important to know the guidelines for inserting a chest tube, in order to reduce the risk of damaging organs or neurovascular structures.
The author Niels Katballe is a consultant thoracic surgeon, and inventor of “The KatGuide” device, for safe and accurate chest tube insertion. The KatGuide technique is not used or mentioned in this tutorial video. (Katballe N, Moeller LB, Olesen WH, Litzer MM, Andersen G, Nekrasas V, et al. A Novel Device for Accurate Chest Tube Insertion: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Annals of thoracic surgery. 2016;101(2):527-32.)
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