Don't gamble with medical record numbers. Each label lists the patient's name, the medical record number, the tests to be performed, the type of container required, any special instructions, and the bar code that identifies the specimen.
Mediastinoscopy is a surgical procedure to look at the inside of the upper chest between and in front of the lungs (mediastinum). During a mediastinoscopy, a small cut (incision) is made in the neck just above the breastbone or on the left side of the chest next to the breastbone. Then a thin scope (mediastinoscope) is inserted through the opening.
The mediastinum is the cavity that separates the lungs from the rest of the chest. It contains the heart, esophagus, trachea, thymus, and aorta. The mediastinum has three main parts: the anterior mediastinum (front), the middle mediastinum, and the posterior mediastinum (back).12,13,14) Treatment of mediastinal Hodgkin's involves chemotherapy and/or radiation. 5 year survival is now around 75%. (15) Large-cell type may have somewhat better prognosis. Surgery is generally not performed because of invasive nature of tumor.