Feasibility and Safety of Median Sternotomy Combined With Hemi-Clamshell Incisions for the Resection of Extremely Large Tumors in the Thoracic Cavity: A Case Series.

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of median sternotomy combined with hemi-clamshell thoracotomy for resection of extremely large intrathoracic tumors. The perioperative data of three patients with large tumors in the thoracic cavity from January 2021 to December 2024 were collected and analyzed retrospectively, and median sternotomy combined with the hemi-clamshell approach to achieve tumor resection was described. All these patients underwent tumor resection and pneumonectomy. Two patients developed postoperative complications but recovered well with effective treatment, and the other patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery without any major complications.