[Damage control surgery in thoracic trauma].

Damage control surgery (DCS) is an integral part of management in critically injured patients. These usually involve patients with profound hemorrhagic shock with the development of acidosis, hypothermia and coagulopathy. Three stages of DCS are widely accepted: 1) Limited operation to control bleeding and contamination. 2) Continued resuscitation in intensive care unit. 3) Reoperation. Besides DCS in intraabdominal trauma, DCS techniques are currently employed also in thoracic injuries. DCS techniques in heart, lung, internal thoracic vessel and esophagus injuries are presented.Key words: damage control surgery thoracic trauma.