Thoracic Key

Introduction Print Section Listen Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital anterior chest wall defect, characterized by a posterior depression of the sternum and inferior costal cartilages. The deformity can…

Introduction Print Section Listen Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), a term coined by Rob and Standeven,1 refers to symptomatic compression of the structures of the thoracic outlet (subclavian vessels and brachial…

Introduction Print Section Listen Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a condition that arises from the compression of one or more of the neurovascular structures that traverse the superior aperture of…

Introduction Print Section Listen The term thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) describes a condition arising from compression of the subclavian artery, the subclavian vein, and the brachial plexus between the scalene…

Introduction Print Section Listen Video-assisted thoracoscopy has largely replaced other approaches to the intrathoracic sympathetic chain. Thoracoscopic sympathectomy is most commonly performed for the treatment of severe palmar hyperhidrosis but…

Introduction Print Section Listen Paget–Schroetter syndrome is the sudden thrombosis of the subclavian vein in the setting of physical exertion of the arm. This syndrome is also known as effort…

Introduction Print Section Listen This section on chest wall disorders encompasses benign disorders of the skeletal and muscular chest wall, including congenital deformities of the chest wall, a group of…

Introduction Print Section Listen Infections of the chest wall, although uncommon, are important problems for thoracic surgeons. The severity of these infections can range from relatively minor and inconvenient problems…

Introduction Print Section Listen Since the first pectus repair was reported by Meyer in 1911, several different techniques have been described.1,2 The Ravitch procedure, first described in 1949,3 became the…

Introduction Print Section Listen Prior to the 1950s, the approach to treating skeletal trauma or deformity of the chest was largely nonoperative. Advances in anesthesia, cardiothoracic surgery, bioprosthetic materials, and…