Mortality and Morbidity in Mediastinoscopy: A Retrospective Analysis of 93 Cases

Muzaffer METİN, Adnan SAYAR, Aysun ÖLÇMEN, Yıldıray BEKAR, Hasan AKIN, Adalet DEMİR, Müfid ÖLÇMEN

Yedikule Göğüs Cerrahi Merkezi II. Cerrahi Kliniği

Mediastinoscopy, first used by Carlens in 1959 in thoracic surgery. It is now, very frequently used for staging of lung cancer and diagnosing mediastinal masses. Between 1994-1998 we performed 93 mediastinoscopies; 48 for diagnosis, 45 for staging. In two cases we also performed extended mediastinoscopy after standart mediastinoscopy procedure. 73 cases were male and 20 female and their ages ranged between 11 to 73.

We performed mediastinoscopies under general anesthesia in all cases. The mean operation time was 50 minutes (30-180 minutes). We had hemorrage requiring exploration in 2 cases, unilateral pneumothorax in one, bilateral pneumothorax in one, hoarseness in 12 (9 were temporary) and wound infection in 2 cases. No mortality was detected.

With the increase of our experience in mediastinoscopy, the complication rate decreased. Mediastinoscopy with a low morbidity rate has become an indispensable invasive surgical procedure in our clinic in the staging of lung cancer and diagnosis of mediastinal masses.

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