Custom Search by Tirgan.com

Home    Content    services

Mediastinoscopy

A mediastinoscopy is the procedure by which the mediastinum, the space inside the central part of the chest , is visualized. This space contains the heart and major blood vessels, as well as many lymph glands. This is normally performed by introducing a tube-like apparatus into the chest . The equipment used is referred to as a "scope," which is normally a rigid tube. There is a light source inside the scope and a passage to see inside the body.

This procedure is performed by a chest surgeon in a hospital setting under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes a small incision above the sternum and then introduces the tube inside the chest to visualize the elements in this cavity. This procedure is performed primarily for staging evaluation of lung cancer or establishing the diagnosis of a tumor that is localized to this space. This procedure enables the physician to see the site of the disease and he can biopsy any abnormal tissue or enlarged lymph gland.