TY - JOUR
T1 - Outpatient thoracoscopy
T2 - Safety and practical considerations
AU - Kern, Ryan M.
AU - DePew, Zachary S.
AU - Maldonado, Fabien
PY - 2015/7/1
Y1 - 2015/7/1
N2 - Purpose of review Medical thoracoscopy, also known as pleuroscopy, has been utilized by chest physicians for more than a century. Despite this, it has only recently re-emerged as an important tool for interventional pulmonologists to diagnose and treat pleural diseases. The purpose of this review is to critically assess the recent literature related to medical thoracoscopy, specifically as it pertains to its safety and feasibility as an outpatient procedure. Recent findings Recent data have reaffirmed the clinical utility of medical thoracoscopy and suggest that it can be safely performed in an outpatient setting. A single-center study of 51 patients published in the past year described both the feasibility and safety of outpatient medical thoracoscopy. This study highlights the notion that the majority of patients do not require hospital admission after a routine diagnostic thoracoscopy in the absence of talc poudrage. Another study this year described the successful use of chest physician-directed ultrasound-guided cutting needle biopsy when medical thoracoscopy was not technically possible. Summary The contribution of medical thoracoscopy in the diagnosis and management of pleural diseases is increasingly recognized. Evidence supports the routine practice of medical thoracoscopy on an outpatient basis in experienced centers.
AB - Purpose of review Medical thoracoscopy, also known as pleuroscopy, has been utilized by chest physicians for more than a century. Despite this, it has only recently re-emerged as an important tool for interventional pulmonologists to diagnose and treat pleural diseases. The purpose of this review is to critically assess the recent literature related to medical thoracoscopy, specifically as it pertains to its safety and feasibility as an outpatient procedure. Recent findings Recent data have reaffirmed the clinical utility of medical thoracoscopy and suggest that it can be safely performed in an outpatient setting. A single-center study of 51 patients published in the past year described both the feasibility and safety of outpatient medical thoracoscopy. This study highlights the notion that the majority of patients do not require hospital admission after a routine diagnostic thoracoscopy in the absence of talc poudrage. Another study this year described the successful use of chest physician-directed ultrasound-guided cutting needle biopsy when medical thoracoscopy was not technically possible. Summary The contribution of medical thoracoscopy in the diagnosis and management of pleural diseases is increasingly recognized. Evidence supports the routine practice of medical thoracoscopy on an outpatient basis in experienced centers.
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U2 - 10.1097/MCP.0000000000000168
DO - 10.1097/MCP.0000000000000168
M3 - Review article
C2 - 26016579
AN - SCOPUS:84942903368
VL - 21
SP - 357
EP - 362
JO - Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine
JF - Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine
SN - 1070-5287
IS - 4
ER -