title: Experience with modified posterolateral muscle-sparing thoracotomy in neonates, infants, and children.
abstract: Between May 1991 and December 1995, a total of 38 posterolateral muscle-sparing thoracotomies were performed in neonates and children. The technique described preserves the serratus anterior and most of the latissimus dorsi muscle. In all except 1 case, excellent exposure of the thoracic cavity was achieved. The muscle-sparing approach is easy to perform with appropriate attention to the anatomy of the chest wall. It has the advantages of minimal anatomic disturbance and trauma to the major chest-wall muscles, and hence is likely to be associated with less postoperative pain and, possibly, improved pulmonary function. A plea for routine use of a muscle-sparing incision for thoracotomy procedures in the pediatric age group is thus justifiable.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, P.O. Box 7805, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jawad
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*