Lumbar drains are a mainstay for spinal cord protection when patients undergo operations like thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repairs and thoracic endovascular aortic repairs…
Over the course of my training as a cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, I’ve come across many manifestations of cardiac compression ranging from hemorrhagic pericardial…
The thoracic duct is the primary conduit which carries chyle (lymphatic fluid containing triglycerides, immune cells, proteins, etc.) from the cisterna chyli to the…
Although small amounts of air and fluid in the pleural space are generally well tolerated, pneumothorax, hemothorax, chylothorax, etc. necessitates chest tube placement. For…
Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (“circ arrest”) is often required for partial or total aortic arch reconstructions. At this point in the surgery, there is…