Surgeons Rescue Patient’s Lung by Removing Extensive Fibrotic Tissue
A specialized medical team in thoracic, cardiac, and vascular surgery at Alkafeel Hospital has successfully performed a complex surgical procedure that lasted over five hours, during which they saved a young patient’s lung from severe fibrosis that nearly rendered it non-functional. Dr. Ahmed Jawad Al-Khafaji reported that a 39-year-old man from Babylon Governorate had suffered an accident more than two months earlier, which resulted in a large hemothorax (blood accumulation in the pleural cavity). He explained that initial emergency management at another hospital involved placing a chest tube to drain part of the blood, but the intervention was insufficient, leaving a significant amount of clotted blood in the pleura. Over time, this led to the development of what is known as "fibrothorax."
Dr. Al-Khafaji added that the patient had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit for an extended period before being transferred to Alkafeel Hospital, where he was immediately prepared for surgery due to the severity of his condition.
He continued, saying the fibrosis was extensive, fully involving the pleura. The real challenge was that the fibrotic tissue obscured the distinction between the lung surface and the chest wall, making the dissection highly intricate and risky.
The specialist confirmed that during the operation, which lasted more than five consecutive hours, the surgical team meticulously separated the fibrotic pleura from the lung. The lung was completely freed from the adhesions without the need to remove any part of it—an essential outcome to ensure full respiratory function. Dr. Al-Khafaji concluded that the results were highly satisfactory. The patient regained his health after the procedure and began a rapid recovery, effectively putting an end to the prolonged suffering that began after his accident.