Decortication

Decortication
ICD-9-CM34.51-34.52

Decortication is a medical procedure involving the surgical removal of the surface layer, membrane, or fibrous cover of an organ. The procedure is usually performed when the lung is covered by a thick, inelastic pleural peel restricting lung expansion. In a non-medical aspect, decortication is the removal of the bark, husk, or outer layer, or peel of an object.[1] It may also be done in the treatment of chronic laryngitis. It is the primary treatment for fibrothorax.

  1. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Archived 2008-03-02 at the Wayback Machine. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company