Results of Thoracotomy in Penetrating Chest Trauma

Thoracotomy is a surgical procedure to access the chest components, which is often performed after severe bleeding caused by heart damage, lung laceration and other similar injuries. This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted on all patients with penetrating chest trauma during April 2000 to October 2008. In 5% of cases, thoracotomy was used for treatment in which severe bleeding was the main surgical indication. It was the most common finding followed by lung laceration thoracotomy. Most urban injuries are treatable by chest tube. About 3 to 10 percent of cases may require a thoracotomy in which severe bleeding is the most common indication of surgery.