Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between the lungs and chest wall which pushes on the outside of the lung and makes it collapse. Read more for symptoms, causes and best treatment in Delhi, India

1. A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung due to air accumulating inside the
chest cavity.
PNEUMOTHORAX
(COLLAPSED LUNG)

2. Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks
into the space between the lungs and
chest wall which pushes on the outside
of the lung and makes it collapse. In
most cases, only a portion of the lung
collapses.

3. Collapsed Lung (Pneumothorax)
 A pneumothorax can be
caused by a blunt or
penetrating chest injury,
certain medical procedures
involving the lungs or due
to underlying lung disease.
Sometimes, pneumothorax
occurs for no obvious
reason.

4. Symptoms of Pneumothorax
1. Chest pain
2. Shortness of
breath
 Chest pain – Sudden, sharp chest pain on
the same side as the affected lung.
 Shortness of breath – This may be mild or
severe, depending on how much of your
lung is collapsed and whether your have
underlying lung disease.
 One should seek immediate medical
help in cause of sudden chest pain
and troubled breathing.

5. Causes of Pneumothorax
 Pneumothorax can be caused by a chest injury,
underlying lung disease or ruptured air blisters.
 Pneumothorax also can occur for no obvious reason.
 Chest Injuries : Any blunt or penetrating injury to your
chest can cause lung collapse. Some injuries may
happen during physical assaults or car crashes, while
others may inadvertently occur during certain medical
procedures.

6. Risk Factors of Pneumothorax
→ Sex
→
Smoking
→ Age
→ Genetics
 Sex - In general, men are far more likely to have a
pneumothorax than are women.
 Smoking - The risk increases with the length of time
and the number of cigarettes smoked, even without
emphysema.
 Age – The type of pneumothorax caused by
ruptured air blisters is most likely to occur in young
individuals between 20 and 40years old.
 Genetics – Certain types of pneumothorax appear to
run in families.

7. Risk Factors of Pneumothorax
→ Lung
disease
→Mechanical
ventilation
→ History of
pneumothorax
 Lung disease – Certain underlying lung disease –
especially emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis,
sarcoidosis and cystic fibrosis .
 Mechanical ventilation – Critical patients who need
mechanical ventilation to breathe effectively are at
higher risk of pneumothorax.
 A history of pneumothorax – Anyone who has had
one pneumothorax is at increased risk of another,
usually within one to two years of the first episode.

8. Complications of Pneumothorax
→ Low blood
oxygen levels
→ Cardiac
arrest
→ Respiratory
failure
→ Shock
 Persistent air leak – Air may
sometimes continue to leak if the
opening in the lung won't close.
Surgery may eventually be needed to
close the air leak.
 Recurrence - Patients who have had
one pneumothorax have another,
usually within three years of the first.

9. Treatment of Pneumothorax
 The purpose of treating a pneumothorax is to
relieve the pressure on the lung, by removing
the air and hence allowing it to re-expand,
and to prevent recurrences. The best method
for achieving this depends on the severity of
the lung collapse and on the patient’s overall
health.

10. Pneumothorax Surgical Treatment in
India
 Surgery is advised as the definitive management. In
most cases, the surgery can be performed through
small key-hole incisions, using a tiny fiber optic
camera and narrow, long-handled surgical tools.
This is known as Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery/
Thoracoscopic Surgery.

11. Dr. (Prof.) Arvind Kumar
MBBS(AIMS),
MS(SURGERY,
AIIMS),
MNAMS, FACS,
FICS,
FUICC
Senior
Consultant :
General,
Laparoscopic,
Thoracic,
Thoracoscopic &
Robotic Surgeon
Dr. (Prof.) Arvind Kumar is
presently the Director, Institute of
Robotic Surgery and the
Chairman of Centre for Chest
Surgery & Lung Transplantation
at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New
Delhi. It’s under his aegis and
efforts that Sir Ganga Ram
Hospital has become Asia's first
hospital to deliver successful
Robotic Vascular Surgery.
Read more >>

12. Join with Dr. (Prof.) Arvind Kumar on Social
Media