[Thoracoscopy in the treatment of intrapleural bleeding due to injury of chest wall vessels].

Thoracoscopy was used in the treatment of 141 patients with penetrating wounds of chest. Injuries of chest wall vessels were diagnosed at 68 (48.2%) patients. Rate of thoracoscopy conversion due to bleeding from chest wall wounds was 4.3%. Thoracoscopy is effective at injuries of intercostals arteries and their muscular branches, but injuries of internal thoracic artery require conversion into thoracotomy at 50% cases. It is revealed that expediency of thoracoscopy is in direct proportion to time from injury point and is inversely to hemothorax volume.