Mediastinoscopy

While the risk is small, there is always the risk of significant bleeding due to the location of the tissue being biopsed.These nodes are located on and around several very large blood vessels, making it important that only a cardiac or thoracic surgeon perform this procedure.

We insert the mediatinoscopio after we make a small transverse incision on skin, 3 cm at the suprasternal notch. The procedure takes about 45 minutes.We take samples of tissue from the lymph nodes surrounding the airways. Then, we remove the mediastinoscope and close the incision with stitches.You will be unconscious during the procedure. You may have some tenderness in the incision site and then you have feel sore throat after the test.This procedure is done to examine and then take a biopsy of the lymph nodes or other abnormal growths in the front of the mediastinum, close to the chest wall. The most common reason is to see if lung cancer (or other cancer) has spread to these lymph nodes. This is called staging.
This procedure is also done to certain infections and autoimmune disorders .Patients are usually admitted the day before surgery and may stay up to 24 hours after the procedure.