title: Pulmonary artery sarcoma resected via median sternotomy with thoracoscopic assistance.
abstract: Median sternotomy is frequently selected for the resection of pulmonary artery tumor, and pneumonectomy is performed for complete resection. However, it is difficult to see the inferior pulmonary vein and transect it safely via median sternotomy, so additional thoracotomy is often required and this is highly invasive. In the present case, we employed thoracoscopy (which we routinely use for VATS lobectomy) to transect the inferior pulmonary vein via median sternotomy without additional intercostal thoracotomy. This method has advantages for patients undergoing pneumonectomy via median sternotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Nagara 1-1-35, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan. katakura@otsu.jrc.or.jp.
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katakura
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Nagara 1-1-35, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Yojiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yutaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Nagara 1-1-35, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Nagara 1-1-35, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Nagara 1-1-35, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Nagara 1-1-35, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitano