Lungs and CABG

[ed34]

I was thinking today about bypass surgery. When the surgery is complete, there are tubes coming from the chest cavity to drain any fluids/blood. When they remove these, they simple ask the patient to hold a breath and then they stitch the skin tight. What I'm wondering is, what if any air is in the chest cavity? I would have thought that any amoung of air would make breathing more difficult. If a small amount of air is in the cavity, I don't believe a Doctor would notice this glancing at an x-ray. I'm not speaking huge volumes here or collapsed lungs, but just a small amount of air. What happens to that air over time? does tissue absorb it?

[kenkeith]

From what I have read x-rays will help the doctor know when all the air or extra fluid is out of your pleural space. The x-ray will also show how well your lung is expanding You may need suction to help drain your pleural space. If this is the case, your chest tube may be connected to suction coming from the wall in your room. Removing a chest tube should be done with two indivduals, one individual removes the tube another quickly seals the opening.

If a small amount of air enters the veins will be stopped at the lungs.

Of course a large amount of air that enters the bloodstream, would be potentially fatal, especially when it occurs on the left side of the heart as well as cause brain damage.