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European Surgery
Published in: European Surgery 3/2015

01-06-2015 | Original Article

Pathophysiology of airway obstruction caused by wound hematoma after thyroidectomy: an ex vivo study

Authors: Dr. med. T. von Ahnen, Dr. med. M. von Ahnen, Dr. med. U. Wirth, A. Schroll, Prof. Dr. med. H. M. Schardey, PD Dr. med. S. Schopf

Published in: European Surgery | Issue 3/2015

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Summary

Background

Airway obstruction by postoperative hemorrhage after thyroid resection is a serious adverse and potentially life-threatening event. The aim of this study is to investigate if the possible pressure caused by a postoperative hematoma in the neck would be sufficient to compress the trachea and therefore leads to a mechanical airway obstruction.

Methods

In this ex vivo model varying pressures (0–250 mmHg) were applied on 30 human cadaver tracheas. The primary outcome was the anterior-posterior and latero-lateral tracheal diameter during the application of different pressures.

Results

At the highest pressures of 250 mmHg, there was an average compression of only 67.80 % in anterior-posterior direction and of 60.09 % in latero-lateral direction.

Conclusions

This study suggests that even pressures of 250 mmHg in neck-hematomas would be insufficient to cause a mechanical airway occlusion.
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Metadata
Title
Pathophysiology of airway obstruction caused by wound hematoma after thyroidectomy: an ex vivo study
Authors
Dr. med. T. von Ahnen
Dr. med. M. von Ahnen
Dr. med. U. Wirth
A. Schroll
Prof. Dr. med. H. M. Schardey
PD Dr. med. S. Schopf
Publication date
01-06-2015
Publisher
Springer Vienna
Published in
European Surgery / Issue 3/2015
Print ISSN: 1682-8631
Electronic ISSN: 1682-4016
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10353-015-0318-8

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