Why do I need a Mediastinoscopy/ Mediastinotomy?
After looking at your Chest X-rays, CT and PET scans your doctor has asked for the thoracic surgeon to look at the lymph nodes inside your chest and take biopsies, in order to confirm or determine a diagnosis and a treatment plan.
What is a mediastinoscopy?
This is an operation carried out under general anaesthetic.
The surgeon will make a 3-4cm cut in the skin at the front of your neck allowing them to look at the space between your lungs and take biopsies from your lymph nodes. The cut will then be closed with dissolvable stitches at the end of the procedure.
If the area that needs to be looked at cannot be reached through the cut in the base of the neck you may require a Mediastinotomy.
A mediastinotomy requires a small cut between the upper ribs on the left side of the body to allow the biopsies to be taken
Before the operation
The nurse or operating department practitioner (ODP) will check some important details with you, such as your name, date of birth, any allergies you may have. They will also confirm you have signed your consent form.
When it is time for your operation you will be taken to the anaesthetic room. You will be assisted onto a trolley and connected to heart and pulse monitors.
Your anaesthetist will insert a small needle in your hand / arm to give you drugs that will make you go to sleep. They will look after you during your operation, giving you medication to keep you asleep and relieve pain.
After the operation
When your operation is over you will be woken up and transferred to the recovery area. The nurses will make sure you are breathing well and that you are comfortable.
Once the team are happy you have made a good recovery from the anaesthetic you will be transferred to one of the cardiothoracic wards.
You will need to stay for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight depending on the time of your operation before you can go home.
When you return home, you must have someone responsible with you for the first night after the operation. If you live alone, you may need to arrange to stay with a relative. If this is not possible then please inform us prior to admission so arrangements can be made for you to stay in hospital overnight.
Please arrange for someone to collect you from hospital to take you home.
On your discharge you will be given a copy of your discharge letter and a copy for your GP.
The operation can sometimes cause pain around the area in your neck where the cut has been made. You may find that taking some paracetamol for a few days after your operation will help with this pain
Signs and symptoms to look out for
If you have any of the following problems, then please contact your GP or the Thoracic nurse specialists for advice: • Increase in the amount of pain you have, despite taking regular painkillers • Your wound becoming redder than before, swollen, warm to touch or leaking fluid • Any part of your wound opening and coming apart
In a medical emergency please do not hesitate and contact 999
