is a chest tube considered a surgical procedure
Chest tube. A chest tube (chest drain, thoracic catheter, tube thoracostomy, or intercostal drain) is a flexible plastic tube that is inserted through the chest wall and into the pleural space or mediastinum. It is used to remove air (pneumothorax) or fluid (pleural effusion, blood, chyle), or pus (empyema) from the intrathoracic space.
A thoracotomy is a major surgical procedureâit is the first step in many thoracic surgeries including lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancerâand as such requires general anesthesia with endotracheal tube insertion and mechanical ventilation.