Imaging in Thoracic Surgery

Abstract

The availability and applications of ultrasound systems at the bedside have increased over the years. While they have become standard of care for line insertion and regional anesthesia, there are still many other applications that would clearly benefit clinical anesthesia practice. Among others, airway ultrasound has been reported to guide selection of double-lumen endotracheal tubes, identify tracheal intubation, and accurately identify crico-thyroid membrane and guide percutaneous tracheostomy. Lung ultrasound allows prompt bedside assessment of lung pathology including pneumothorax and pleural effusions with an accuracy superior to chest X-ray. Focused cardiac ultrasound represents an ideal tool in the management of perioperative hemodynamic instability and preoperative risk stratification. Finally, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is the ideal monitoring tool in complex surgical procedures and rescue scenarios. In this review, we will identify the specific application of perioperative ultrasound imaging that would benefit thoracic anesthesia.