Thoracotomy by midaxillary incision has been done for pulmonary resection at the 36 th Army Hospital since Feb. 1963.
Skin incision is about 20 cm in length along midaxillary line. The chest is opened after dividing the serraus anterior muscle and the 5 th or 5 th intercostal muscle of which incision is extended anteriorily and posteiorily on the inner surface of he thorax.
Though he operative field obtained by this method is relatively narrow and deep, general procedure of pulmonary resection can be done at ease by the skillful hand of the thoracic surgeon. It, however, becomes harder, even dangerous when there is predominant pleural or hilar adhesion.
77 cases of pulmoanry resection involving pneumonectomy, lobectomy, segmental resection and pulmonary biopsy have been done by midaxillary incision in this hospital without any notable accident during operation.
Midaxillary incision is not only smpler and shorter way to get in the thoracic cavity but also excellent from he physiologic and cosmetic viewpoint, when it is applied for the oung adult to be operated of simple pulmonary resection, pulmonary biopsy, and removal of foreign body in the thoracic cavity.
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