Chest surgery clinics of North America
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The first discovery in 1823 of what has become known as mediastinal teratoma is discussed. The uniqueness of this tumor with its various spontaneous complications is described along with its early and often inept surgical therapies. This article highlights the development of the surgical treatment of mediastinal teratoma that has matured synchronously with the understanding of the physiology of the chest and the evolution of modern surgery.
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Chest Surg. Clin. N. Am. · Feb 2000
Historical ArticleThe history of ventilation in the evolution of thoracic surgery.
The intrusion into the pleural space by surgeons was hindered for several hundred years by the realization that there were major pathophysiological alterations in ventilation and in circulation. The nature of this abnormality, although described very early on in history, went unrecognized until the end of the nineteenth century. ⋯ It is hard for the modern thoracic surgeon to fully comprehend the challenges that faced the early surgeon back when there was no such thing as positive pressure ventilation or unilateral lung ventilation. This article traces the origins of ventilation in man and their application to the development of thoracic surgery.