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Pneumomediastinum (also known as mediastinal emphysema) is defined as the presence of gas in the mediastinum. It can be spontaneous or arise as a result of trauma. Most cases can be effectively treated conservatively, however, if severe symptoms occur, cardiosurgical intervention is necessary.A man 20 years old, a victim of a traffic accident resulting in polytrauma, was transported to the Municipal Hospital of Jozef Strus in Poznan. Rapid tests performed at the Hospital's Emergency Room speeded up the diagnosis of a life-threatening pneumomediastinum. The patient was transferred to the Operating Room of the Cardiosurgical Department, where during an urgent surgery, the pericardial sac was decompressed. Subsequently, the patient underwent another surgery in the Thoracic surgery Department of the Wielkopolskie Center of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery. Afterwards, the patient had to spend a couple of weeks at the Intensive Care Department of Municipal Hospital of Jozef. Ultimately, after 6 weeks of hospitalization, the patient was discharged from the hospital in a good condition.The therapeutic success was an outcome of a quick diagnostic process, cooperation of doctors of various specialties and implementation of urgent surgical treatment. Mediastinal emphysema, which even though usually treated conservatively, may require lifesaving surgery in cardiothoracic surgery wards.

The patient was admitted to the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the J. Struś City Hospital in Poznan due to infective endocarditis involving the aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves. Implantation of three biological valve prostheses proceeded without complications. Starting on day 23, the patient's general condition deteriorated, with high fever. Despite postoperative antibiotic therapy, transesophageal echocardiography revealed the presence of vegetation on the bioprosthetic aortic valve. On the 46th day after the initial surgery, the patient required replacement of the aortic bioprosthesis, which exhibited the presence of numerous vegetations. The bioprosthetic mitral and tricuspid valves were not affected by the degenerative process. On the 12th day after the reimplantation of the bioprosthetic aortic valve, the patient was discharged from the hospital in good general condition.

The patient was admitted to the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the J. Struś Municipal Hospital in Poznan due to dissection of the ascending aorta and arch. 7 days after the operation, which proceeded without complications, increased secretion of pleural fluid was revealed; the fluid was then evacuated repeatedly. The patient spent 52 days in hospital, including 22 days in the cardiac intensive care unit. Total drainage of the left pleural cavity amounted to 11 750 ml, and of the right – 4750 ml. The left pleural cavity was drained nine times, while the right was drained five times. The catheters from both pleural cavities were exchanged several times due to their obstruction. The patient was intubated five times because of deteriorating arterial blood gas results, and he required approximately 80 hours of mechanical ventilation. Thoracic surgery, radiological consultation, and chest CT did not reveal any tangible causes of that condition; therefore, only symptomatic treatment was applied.