Emergency surgical treatment for traumatic lung herniation: A case report

Abstract

A 41-year-old man was brought to our hospital by ambulance for blunt chest trauma due to collision with a motorcycle. He had a contused wound and subcutaneous emphysema in his left lateral thoracic region, and received left tube thoracostomy. Chest computed tomography after chest drainage showed intercostal lung herniation. Emergency surgery was performed. In the operation, the herniated lung was reduced into the thoracic cavity by differential lung ventilation. The hernia orifice was thought to be a defect of the bony thorax at the 2nd and 3rd intercostal spaces. The hernia orifice was closed by approximating the ribs with heavy stitches after trimming the fractured ribs. We report the case, considering that hung herniation is relatively rare.