Thorax Surgery

What is it?

Our thoracic surgery service is dedicated to high complexity surgery in thoracic organs. This team is committed to the patient and their needs, to provide interdisciplinary treatment.

Recommendations and Alarm Signs

  • In case that the patient has undergone a thoracic surgery, he should consult the emergency department if he presents fever, difficulty breathing, coughing blood clots, or pus coming from the wounds.
  • The dressing left in the place where the thoracic drainage (thoracostomy tube) is, should not be removed until the fifth day.
  • Once the tube has been removed, it should be covered with plastic and surgical tape so that the site where it was placed does not get wet. Sometimes, after removing the drainage tube, there is a greater flow of serous fluid through the hole where it was located, in this case, you can put a diaper or a maternity sanitary pad, which will help to keep it dry.
  • It is recommended if you have antibiotic treatment to finish it, since the thoracic cavity has a greater sensitivity towards infections, and if you do not finish the treatment there is a risk of having a relapse caused by a germ with greater resistance to antibiotics.
  • The patient is discharged with painkillers, in case that it is not possible to control the pain, please go to the emergency room of Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital.

Post-surgical care

Contrary to what many people may think, in the case of thoracic surgeries, stillness during the recovering process is quite counterproductive. Lying down, for example, helps the lungs fill with water or clots to form in the arteries of the lung.

The rehabilitation and physiotherapy of the lungs depends on the respiratory exercises that are taught in hospitalization with a respiratory incentive (the game with 3 balls) and exercise.

In principle, it is recommended to go daily for a walk for 30 minutes before 9 a.m, ideally on flat ground and at a speed that each one considers, but that allows you not to stop. You will see that day by day your performance will improve.

Going up and down stairs can be done, but the patient may not be able to do it in the first days after surgery.

It is not recommended for women to wear a bra after thoracic surgery, it will greatly increase the pain and might be more difficult to control it. You can replace it with tops that are not tight.

Once you recover and enough physical status is obtained, you can return to your daily activities.

Services

Interventions

  • Lung cancer (Diagnosed, suspected, or screened).
  • Study and treatment of the pulmonary nodule.
  • Pleura diseases (pleural effusions, pleural tumors, tumor involvement of the pleura, chylothorax ), severe lung infections (lung abscesses, necrosis, or necrotizing pneumonias).
  • Pulmonary or pleural tuberculosis (Diagnosis, biopsies, surgical treatments and important commitment).
  • Severe COPD (which requires surgery to reduce lung volume).
  • Tumors or mediastinal infections.
  • Tracheal or bronchial stenosis or tumors (Patients with tracheostomy due to tracheal stenosis).
  • Esophageal tumors.
  • Excessive sweating in hands or armpits (hyperhidrosis).
  • Chest wall deformities (Pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum).
  • Multiple ribs or sternal fractures (which require stabilization with osteosynthesis material).
  • Myasthenia Gravis (Generalized weakness syndrome).
  • Hernias or diaphragm paralysis.
  • Pneumothorax (Spontaneous lung rupture in healthy or COPD patients).

Specialists

  • Lina María Velásquez Gómez
  • Willfredy Castaño Ruiz
  • Andrés Zerrate Misas

Contact us

For national patients

To request an appointment (4) 360 47 88

For more information (4) 445 90 00

For international patients

https://tphptu.teleperformance.co/TPCO/ChatHptuV5/CHATV5_Inicio.aspx?URL=74922ee129189199d3dd3f7971f387a29dfbbdced55d4df4

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Attention time

Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Nursing consultation: Tuesday from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.