Surgical management of diseases of the mediastinum ushered in the era of chest surgery, as the risks of exploration of the pleural spaces were prohibitive until the advent of positive-pressure ventilation. Early procedures were undertaken for suppurative and tuberculous bacterial infections. These approaches were subsequently applied for extirpation of primary and secondary neoplasms of the mediastinum. Finally, less invasive techniques for the diagnosis of mediastinal processes and the staging of bronchogenic carcinoma were developed. This article discusses the historical perspectives of mediastinal surgery.
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