Cuerpo extraño intratorácico post traumatismo penetrante

Abstract

Thoracic foreign body after penetrating chest trauma We present the case of a 21 year old man with an intra thoracic foreign body after penetrating chest trauma. The foreign body was the blade of a knife. It was removed through the wound, without thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and the patient evolved without incidents. Intrathoracic foreign bodies secondary to penetrating trauma are rare. They are usually removed through thoracotomy or VATS. Both alternatives allow adequate exploration of the intra-thoracic structures and repair injuries that are potentially lethal. In stable patients and selected cases, they can be removed without surgery (without thoracotomy or VATS); always in an operating room and under general anesthesia, in case that surgical exploration could be needed after the procedure.