title: Conservative management of traumatic lung hernia.
abstract: Traumatic lung hernia is a rare entity. The majority of cases reported in the literature have been treated surgically with early thoracotomy to prevent strangulation of pulmonary tissue. We report the case of a 63-year-old patient who experienced a 20-foot fall, causing multiple rib fractures with a lung hernia that was managed conservatively for 48 hours followed by spontaneous resolution of the herniated pulmonary segment. There is a need to review the indications for surgical versus conservative approach in the management of posttraumatic lung hernia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68154, USA. jaibikhchandani@creighton.edu
authors.forename: Jai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bikhchandani
authors.forename: Marcus W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Balters
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
mesh_terms: D006547:Hernia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged