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What is a thoracic surgery?
Thoracic surgery involves surgery on the organs in the chest or thorax. Most common treatments include the food pipe, wind pipe, lungs, chest wall, heart and diaphragm. Thoracic surgery is often grouped with cardiac surgery and called cardiothoracic surgery.
Purpose of thoracic surgery
The purpose of thoracic surgery is to treat diseased or damage organs in the chest or thorax.
Above: Soft tissue massage of the chest muscle and connective tissues by specialist MSK therapistWhy you have the thoracic surgery?
A person may have thoracic surgery if they have:
- Lung cancer,
- Chronic airways disease, e.g. COPD, cystic fibrosis and asthma.
- Chest trauma,
- Lung collapse due to air (pneumothorax),
- Fluid in the pleura of lung (pleural effusion),
- Infection of the lung (empy-sema).
Types of Thoracic Surgery
Types of thoracic surgery include:
- Sternotomy-is an incision through and down the breastbone
- Thoractomy- is an incision through the side of the chest. The size of this incision depends on the patient’s problem.
- Thoracoscopy– is the removal of ribs in order to collapse the underlying diseased lung.
- Pneumonectomy – is the removal of a whole lung
- Lobectomy – is the removal of an entire lobe in the lung
- Lung transplant
Above: Trigger point massage of the chest muscle by MSK therapistPhysiotherapy treatment post thoracic surgery
Following surgery, you will find yourself a little breathless, tiring quickly. This is because the removal of any part of your lung will affect your ability to use the oxygen in the air. After thoracic surgery you should start physiotherapy as soon as possible. The physiotherapists at Physio.co.uk will help get you to full function as soon as possible.
Physiotherapy treatment will help you achieve functional activities, increase your quality of life and promote your independence following your surgery. At Physio.co.uk our specialised physiotherapists will provide individualised treatment that will help you fulfil your maximum potential and promoteyour recovery as much as possible. Physiotherapy treatment is focused around:
- Improving or maintaining exercise tolerance and muscle strength
- Reducing pain
- Improving your posture
- Stretching to help prevent shortening of soft tissue
- Relaxation or massage to help decrease stress and anxiety and increase confidence and sense of well being
- Promoting activities of daily living such as walking, getting around the house, climbing the stairs.
- Devices to help standing and walking if appropriate.
- Teaching transfers (getting in and out of a wheelchair, bed, car, shower/bath and onto and off a toilet).
- Regular chest expansion exercise to increase lung volume and remove chest secretions
- Increasing quality of life
- Promoting independence
Above: Strengthening exercises fro the chest muscles supervised by MSK PhysiotherapistOur motivated physiotherapists at Physio.co.uk will help you set short and long term goals tailored to your needs. To arrange a full assessment to get an idea of your rehabilitation potential and book an appointmentcall 0330 088 7800, book online or alternatively request a free phone consultation.
Above: Soft tissue massage of the chest muscle and connective tissues
