Minimally invasive retrieval of a foreign body after penetrating lung injury.
Minimally invasive techniques are increasingly used in the management of trauma victims. We report the case of a young man in a motor vehicle crash who sustained a penetrating wound to the anterior left chest caused by the automobile stick shift. Subsequent imaging demonstrated a large foreign body in the left lung. The foreign body was removed successfully by videothoracoscopy, and the patient made a full recovery. This case demonstrates the inroads that minimally invasive surgery is making in care of the injured and highlights an excellent technique for dealing with pulmonary foreign bodies.
Boulanger
B
B
Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 800 Rose Street C-220, Lexington, 40536-0084, USA. bboul@pop.uky.edu
Lahmann
B
B
Ochoa
J
J
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D001336:Automobiles; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D055370:Lung Injury; D008297:Male; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*