Non-intubated single port thoracoscopic procedure under local anesthesia with sedation for a 5-year-old girl

Abstract

Medical thoracoscopy is a feasible procedure for the diagnosis or treatment of thoracic diseases, and it can be performed under local anesthesia without tracheal intubation in cooperative adult patients. However, for younger than school aged patients, even simple procedures require general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. In this case report, we demonstrated the safe performance of a single port thoracoscopic procedure without tracheal intubation in a 5-year-old girl under local anesthesia and sedation. Local anesthesia around the site of a previous chest tube and sedation with intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine and ketamine were applied. In the aspect of not only minimal injection of local anesthetics but also enhanced visualization of the thoracic structures, the non-intubated single port thoracoscopic surgery under local anesthesia with sedation was a good option for performing a simple thoracoscopic procedure in this 5-year-old patient.