Transsternal Bilateral Thoracotomy (The Clamshell Incision) for Bilateral Metastatic Lung Cancer : Case Report

A transsternal bilateral thoracotomy (clamshell incision) was successfully performed in a 69-year-old male. The patient had bilateral metastatic lung cancer from a primary colon cancer. An inframammary incision was made while the patient was in a supine position. The chest was entered via the 4 th i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKita Kantō igaku (The Kitakanto Medical Journal) Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 321 - 324
Main Authors Kawashima, Osamu, Morishita, Yasuo, Kamiyoshihara, Mitsuhiro, Otani, Yoshimi, Sakata, Kazuhiro, Sugano, Masayuki, Ibe, Takashi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published The Kitakanto Medical Society 2001
Subjects
Clamshell incision
Metastatic lung cancer
Trans-sternal thoractomy
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ISSN1343-2826
1881-1191
DOI10.2974/kmj.51.321

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Summary:A transsternal bilateral thoracotomy (clamshell incision) was successfully performed in a 69-year-old male. The patient had bilateral metastatic lung cancer from a primary colon cancer. An inframammary incision was made while the patient was in a supine position. The chest was entered via the 4 th intercostal space ; right segments 3, 4 and 8, and the left upper lobe were resected. Postoperative pain was well controlled using an epidural block. This procedure provides a sufficient surgical field enabling manipulation throughout the entire thoracic space and the mediastinum using a single operative field. Thus transsternal bilateral thoracotomy is a useful procedure for one-stage surgeries in patients with bilateral lung tumors.
ISSN:1343-2826
1881-1191
DOI:10.2974/kmj.51.321