Pulmonary tractotomy for a patient with traumatic penetrating lung injury: report of a case.

We report a case of traumatic hemopneumothorax caused by penetrating lung injury in a 26-year-old man. The patient underwent emergency thoractomy, which revealed hemorrhage in the lingular segment of the left lung. We found the bleeding point and controlled the hemorrhage using pulmonary tractotomy by inserting a linear stapler into the stab wound in the pulmonary parenchyma. The original technique of pulmonary tractotomy was performed for complete through-and-through injury by dividing the bridge of lung tissue between the aortic clamps. We were able to apply this procedure safely to stop bleeding from a stab wound that did not go through the lung. Thus, pulmonary tractotomy is an effective damage-control operation for the lung with obvious advantages over major lung resection.