[Incisions and routes of surgical access].
The correct choice of the incision to the chest is essential for surgical success and a favorable postoperative course. The route of access to the thorax must be adapted both to the disease and to the thoracic surgeon's experience, striking a balance between aggressiveness and the safety of the technique. This article describes the characteristics of surgical incisions, including classical thoracotomy, sternotomy and its variants, thoracoscopy and minimally-invasive surgery. The distinct techniques used to explore mediastinal lymphatic areas, including video-assisted mediastinal lymphadenectomy and transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy, are also described.
Servicio de Cirugía Torácica, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, España.
Sebastián
S
Sevilla López
Manuel
M
Vaquero Cacho
Patricia
P
Menal Muñoz
Rafael
R
Jiménez Merchán
D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*