Surgical system and method of use

A method of extracting fluid from a pleural cavity of a patient using a pleural decompression system in the treatment of simple and/or tension pneumothorax, the method comprising the steps of:

• affixing a base comprising a plate on a patient above an intercostal space of the pleural cavity, the plate having an aperture configured for receiving an obturator assembly and coupling means located about the aperture for coupling with a valve assembly;
• coupling the valve assembly to the base, the valve assembly comprising a passage for receiving a cannula and an open end for coupling to a fluid extraction device;
• cutting through muscular tissues into the pleural cavity with a cutting portion of the obturator assembly by inserting the obturator assembly through the valve assembly passage and the plate aperture, and pushing a handle of the obturator assembly so that the cutting portion cuts through the tissues, a blunt portion of the obturator assembly automatically extends past the cutting portion with a loss of cutting pressure and locks the blunt portion relative to the cutting portion to prevent visceral organ injury;
• deploying the cannula into the pleural cavity from the obturator assembly by securing a locking portion of the cannula to the valve assembly and removing the obturator assembly, the cannula further comprises a lengthwise extendable body extendable into a chest wall of the patient to facilitate a path for pleural fluid extraction into the valve assembly, the cannula having means for retaining the cannula in an extended state, in use;
• extracting fluid from the pleural cavity by coupling the fluid extraction device to the valve assembly;
• locating a mid-point of an upper arm of the patient between the olecranon and the acromion when the patient is in a supine position and the elbow of the patient is flexed to 90 degrees with the patient's forearm in a mid prone position;
• projecting a line, perpendicular to the upper arm, from the mid-point of the upper arm across to the torso of the patient;
• and
• marking the area of contact between the projecting line and the torso as a safe zone for performing pleural decompression procedures.