HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harvey, J. C. Articles by Applebaum, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harvey, J. C. Articles by Applebaum, H.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 102, 425-426, Copyright © 1991 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

Resection of residual mediastinal germ cell masses with the Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator

JC Harvey, EH Fleischman and H Applebaum
Department of Surgery, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Los Angeles.

Residual mediastinal masses after chemotherapy for germ cell tumors should be resected. Complete excision of bulky residual masses may sometimes be difficult because of problems with exposure in the region of the great vessels and important nerves. Two cases are presented in which the Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (Valleylab Inc., Surgical Systems Division, Stamford, Conn.) facilitated excision of large masses after intensive chemotherapy. We found that the collapsed pseudocapsule remaining after aspiration of tumor mass allowed early improved exposure and safer dissection from neighboring vessels and neural structures. Complete excisions were accomplished and no viable tumor was found, so that the patients were spared the immediate need for further therapy. Both had uneventful recoveries.