I. What is spontaneous pneumothorax?
Spontaneous pneumothorax is a relatively common benign disease, especially occurring in young boys with thin and tall body shape. In terms of its pathogenesis, it is due to the sudden rupture of a large herpetic lesion formed on the surface of the lung, and the air inhaled into the lung by normal breathing leaks into the chest cavity through the rupture on the surface of the lung. The air leaking into the chest cavity occupies the normal breathing space of the lung, which makes the patient feel “out of breath” and even pain in the chest.
Second, what causes pneumothorax?
Many people have strenuous exercise or cold before the onset of pneumothorax, but not all patients have a clear cause. Some people may have a sudden onset of pneumothorax while sleeping quietly or reading a newspaper. In general, there are no effective preventive measures for this disease. Patients who have been diagnosed with pneumothorax should be careful to avoid strenuous physical activities to avoid rupture of the pneumothorax.
What are the manifestations of pneumothorax?
The most common symptoms of spontaneous pneumothorax are sudden onset of chest pain, wheezing and dyspnea on one side, and some patients may have a mild cough in combination. After the onset of the disease, the wheezing symptoms may become more and more severe as the amount of air leakage from the chest cavity increases. If a large number of pneumothorax is left untreated for a long time, it may also lead to atelectasis and pneumonia, which may be life-threatening in serious cases.
How do doctors diagnose pneumothorax?
The doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis by listening to the breath sounds and other physical examinations, but further diagnosis requires a chest X-ray.
V. How to deal with pneumothorax after it occurs?
After the diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax, the patient should rest according to the doctor’s order and minimize physical activities. In many cases, a small amount of air leakage in the chest cavity may be absorbed on its own and the disease will eventually heal on its own; patients with severe symptoms and a large amount of air leakage in the chest cavity should immediately undergo thoracentesis or closed chest drainage surgery to drain the air in the chest cavity as soon as possible to restore normal breathing and relieve the symptoms of wheezing. Pneumothorax with recurrent attacks or a large amount of persistent air leakage even after tube drainage should undergo pneumonectomy to completely remove the lesion. However, it is important to note that those who have a first episode but have the following conditions should also undergo pneumonectomy.
(i) those with definite pulmonary blisters confirmed by chest X-ray or CT examination;
②Pneumothorax combined with thoracic hemorrhage;
③Pneumothorax occurs in both chest cavities;
④Patients who are engaged in special occupations, such as pilots, high-altitude workers, etc.
VI. What is the introduction of minimally invasive pneumothorax surgery?
In recent years, with the progress of science and technology, in the treatment of pneumothorax, TV thoracoscopic technology with minimal surgical trauma has emerged, which is a modern technological means to perform surgical procedures with the aid of cold light source and endoscopic imaging technology. By using three small openings of about 1cm on the chest wall, the surgeon can complete the investigation of pulmonary air leakage in the chest cavity and the removal of diseased lung tissues through the monitoring screen and special endoscopic instruments, and can also do a comprehensive treatment of the pleural cavity to completely prevent the possibility of recurrence of pneumothorax in the future.
The operation is many times less traumatic than the previous open-heart surgery, and the patient can fully recover in less than a week after the operation. It is generally welcomed by doctors and patients.
VII. What advice do doctors have?
Finally, we would like to remind our young people that if the symptoms of wheezing and chest pain suddenly appear in daily life and rapidly increase within a few hours or days, it is important to think about the possibility of the disease and they should immediately go to the thoracic surgery department of a nearby hospital. Since the disease is not rare, it is important to remind everyone that patients and family members suffering from spontaneous pneumothorax should never be burdened with any thought, and schools and institutions should never discriminate or refuse to accept patients who have suffered from this disease.
It should be known that this is a benign disorder that can be completely cured, and there is no contagiousness to speak of. As long as the patient sets up a strong belief to overcome the disease, and with the assistance of modern TV thoracoscopy technology, most patients with spontaneous pneumothorax can be cured in a short time.