Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery
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The thoracic wall protects the heart, great vessels, lungs, trachea, and bronchus, which are organs important for maintaining respiration/circulation, against external forces. Therefore, injury of the thoracic wall may necessitate emergency treatment. Such injury primarily consists of rib and sternal fractures. ⋯ Such thoracic injury is termed flail chest. Injury of the thoracic wall, such as flail chest, markedly influences the prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly evaluate the general condition, involving respiratory/circulatory kinetics, confirm the presence or absence of concomitant injury, such as bruises of the lungs/heart, and accurately select therapeutic strategies, including artificial respiration and surgical intervention.
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Three types of congenital diaphragmatic hernias( Bochdalek hernia, Morgagni hernia, and esophageal hiatus hernia) are described with case presentation. In the Bochdalek hernia, the most common type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, abdominal contents pass into the thorac bia diaphragmatic defect, limiting the space available for the developing lungs. Resulting lung hypoplasia, many infants experience severe respiratory distress within minutes of birth and may require resuscitation and stabilization of cardio-pulmonary function prior to surgery. ⋯ Esophageal hiatal hernias usually produce symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux( GERD) and rarely result in incarceration of stomach or other organs. Surgical interventions for GERD, such as Nissen fundoplication, usually target neurologically impaired children in order to prevent aspiration pneumonia and improve quality of life. Laparoscopic surgery is beneficial for all types of diaphragmatic hernia, especially in older children, but careful consideration should be made based on individual patient background.