Day case thoracic surgery

We often consider surgery to chest as a major procedure. However, we have made considerable progress over the last few years with better (single keyhole surgery) techniques, superior pain management and digital (second to second) monitoring of air leak from surgery.

Now, many patients undergoing thoracic surgery have good pain control and do not require a chest drain, facilitating day case surgery.

Patients undergoing pleural effusion surgery, pleural biopsies, mediastinal surgery, pneumothorax surgery and lung biopsies have the option of having surgery as a day case procedure.

The programme has been developed with a team at the Harley Street Clinic in London. Once you have decided that you want to have a day case procedure, you will be seen by a nurse for pre-admission where you will have the necessary investigations. You come in on the morning of the procedure and if all is fine (you recovered well from the anaesthetic, your pain is under control, you don't have a drain) you will be allowed to go home on the day of surgery itself.