RT Journal
A1 BERRY FB
T1 MAssive atelectasis complicating paravertebral thoracoplasty for pulmonary tuberculosis
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 1929
FD January 1
VO 18
IS 1_PART_II
SP 257
OP 270
DO 10.1001/archsurg.1929.04420020079004
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1929.04420020079004
AB Ever since the application of surgical measures to pulmonary tuberculosis with the final development of the paravertebral thoracoplastic operation, one of the more frequent and dreaded complications in the immediate postoperative period has been pneumonia. This seems to occur either in the lung of the side on which operation has been performed or in the contralateral lung with almost equal frequency. Furthermore, there is a general unanimity of opinion that this pneumonia, generally tuberculous, is caused by aspiration of infective material from the diseased area. Following thoracoplasty, such aspiration is unquestionably favored by the weakened wall of the chest and the pain incident to the operation, both of which interfere considerably with the ease, mechanism and effectiveness of cough and expectoration—vital factors in keeping a tuberculous lung rid of its noxious waste. Various methods of procedure have been recommended, and scrupulously adhered to, in order to prevent the occurrence of