Recently, the Department of Respiratory Medicine of the Second People's Hospital of Liaocheng City successfully completed two cases of rigid thoracoscopy and pleural biopsy. The patients were 1 case of unexplained fluid pneumothorax and 1 case of pleural effusion, and there were adhesions in the effusion, after separating the adhesion band under thoracoscopy, pleural biopsy was performed, and the operation went smoothly, and the patients did not have any obvious discomforts after the operation.

Internal thoracoscopy is a simple, minimally invasive and painless examination technique, which only requires an examination incision of about 1.5_2cm in length in the chest wall, and can observe the lesions in the chest cavity under direct vision and perform biopsy of pleural lesions, which is of great value for the diagnosis of lung and pleural diseases. Compared with the traditional thoracic puncture and fluid extraction for hydrothorax and blind pleural examination, thoracoscopy is more intuitive to the observation of thoracic lesions, more targeted operation, and is safe, less traumatic, and quicker recovery.

Internal thoracoscopy is mainly used for the diagnosis and treatment of pleural effusion, especially for unexplained pleural effusion; in addition, it can be used for the diagnosis of pleural space-occupying lesions, drainage of early pyothorax, staging of lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma, pleural immobilization of malignant pleural effusion or obstinate benign pleural effusion, and laxation of non-serious pleural adhesions caused by various reasons.

    There are fewer contraindications to internal thoracoscopy. Absolute contraindications: extensive pleural adhesions, pleural atresia. Relative contraindications: coagulation disorders, severe cardiopulmonary insufficiency, severe pulmonary hypertension, severe coughing, systemic failure unable to tolerate surgery.

    Internal medicine thoracoscopy for patients with lung and pleural diseases! If you have lung and pleural related conditions, you are welcome to consult the Department of Respiratory Medicine of the Second People's Hospital of Liaocheng City with your colleagues, patients and family members, and the team of experts in the Department of Respiratory Medicine will be happy to help you!

(Photo: Xin Weifeng, Zhang Minghui, Hao Zerui)