Surgical Treatment for Intra-Thoracic Migration of Acupuncture Needles

The aim of this study was to introduce the experience of diagnosis and treatment for patients with migrated acupuncture needle to pleural cavity and or lung parenchyma. We had treated 5 patients who had acupuncture needles in their thoracic cavity from January 2000 to September 2009. The mean age was 55.8 yr old. All patients suffered from the sequelae of the cerebrovascular accident and had been treated with acupuncture. They had drowsiness and hemiplegic or quadriplegic motor activity. Fever and dyspnea were main symptoms when referred to us. Diagnosis was made by the chest radiography and chest computed tomography which revealed straight metallic materials in their thoracic cavity. The needles were removed via thoracotomy or thoracoscopic procedures. Pleural decortications were also needed in four patients. Thoracoscopic surgery was successfully performed in two patients. After the removal all patients became symptomless. Although we experienced only five patients who have migrated acupuncture needles in thoracic cavity, we suggest that thoracoscopic removal of the needle with or without pleural decortication is the most optimal modality of treatment in those patients.

Lobectomía pulmonar por puerto único: serie de casos / Single-port pulmonary lobectomy: case series

La cirugía torácica video-asistida ha tenido un gran desarrollo en los últimos años en todo el mundo y aunque en nuestro país no se cuenta con cifras al respecto, cada día se realizan mas cirugías con esta técnica. En este trabajo se presentan tres casos de lobectomías pulmonares realizadas por un solo puerto, lo cual contribuye aún mas al desarrollo de la cirugía torácica de mínima invasión, mostrando además que los desenlaces son igualmente favorables a las cirugías realizadas por dos o tres puertos convirtiéndola en una alternativa muy interesante de la cirugía torácica.