Thoracic Window

A thoracic window is a surgically created opening through the chest wall into the pleural space, used to provide long-term access for drainage and management of persistent pleural disease. The procedure typically involves resecting a segment of one or more ribs and removing tissue to establish a stable stoma, allowing infected fluid, air, and debris to exit while the cavity is treated and heals. In medicine, thoracic windows are most often used for chronic empyema, complex postoperative infections, or trapped lung when conventional drainage is inadequate. They can control infection, improve symptoms, and serve as a temporary or definitive step before later chest-wall closure.

Thoracic Window - Related Videos

Research

JoVE Journal - Medicine

Transaxillary First Rib Resection for Treatment of the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

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Cited by 3 •

2020

Here, we present a protocol of the transaxillary resection of the first rib for treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome caused by compression of the brachial plexus, subclavian vein and artery.

Spinal Cord Window Implantation in a Mouse for In Vivo Imaging

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2025

Source: Pietruczyk, E. A., et al. Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Window Implantation in the Mouse. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)This video demonstrates the implantation of a spinal cord window in an anesthetized mouse for in vivo imaging. The protocol stabilizes the exposed spinal cord using a borosilicate cover glass and a 3D-printed backplate. This method enables high-resolution two-photon microscopy to study blood-brain barrier dynamics and neurovascular interactions.

Education

JoVE Core - Anatomy and Physiology

Thoracic Aorta

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2024

The thoracic section of the aorta begins at the T5 vertebra and extends to the T12 level at the diaphragm, initially progressing through the mediastinum to the left of the spinal column. Throughout its course in the thoracic segment, the thoracic aorta emits various offshoots known collectively as visceral and parietal branches. The branches that predominantly supply blood to visceral organs are termed visceral branches and include bronchial, pericardial, esophageal, and mediastinal arteries,...

Calvarial Window Generation in Mouse Model: A Surgical Procedure to Create Window in the Top Part of the Mouse Skull

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2023

In this video, we describe the surgical procedure to create a calvarial window for accessing the brain of a mouse model.

Windowing Chicken Eggs for Developmental Studies

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Cited by 37 •

2007

The ease of accessibility of the embryo has allowed for experiments to map cell fates using several approaches, including chick quail chimeras and focal dye labeling. In this article we demonstrate one egg preparation method that has been optimized for long survival times.

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