Intraoperative transthoracic ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of small hepatectomy-induced pneumothorax

Abstract

Abstract Transthoracic ultrasound is widely used in to diagnose and treat lung diseases, such as pneumonia, atelectasis, pneumothorax and pulmonary edema. Recently, intraoperative transthoracic ultrasound was used to promptly identify two cases of early pneumothorax in patients that underwent liver surgery. We documented the process of pneumothorax occurrence and the patient outcomes. Timely discovery and effective real-time monitoring and evaluation of the scope of pneumothorax ensured the smooth completion of the operation and successfully avoided closed thoracic drainage in one case, avoiding further patient trauma. Indeed, intraoperative ultrasound is an effective approach to diagnose and evaluate pneumothorax that does not affect the progress of surgery and is more convenient and sensitive than conventional chest radiography.