Trans-Eleventh Rib Extrapleural Approach

Abstract

The trans-11th rib extrapleural approach is less traumatic to the respiratory system ¹ and has the advantage that a patient does not necessarily need either thoracic drainage or a postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) stay. The incidence of postoperative atelectasis is very rare, because ventilation is maintained and no direct mechanical pressure is applied to the lung tissue during the spinal procedure; this is beneficial for geriatric or ventilatory poor-risk patients. Even if the parietal pleura is aCCidentally perforated, suturing the injured pleura requires less intensive postoperative management compared to the ordinary thoracotomy procedure.