Winter Aespa Reportedly Experienced Lung Collapse Due to Pneumothorax

An exclusive report from a Korean online media outlet released on Friday, April 12, 2024 revealed that Winter aespa is recovering in the hospital after successfully undergoing spontaneous pneumothorax surgery.

The surgery was performed on Thursday, April 11, 2024, and went smoothly, as quoted by Allkpop on Friday morning.

"Since (pneumothorax) is a condition prone to recurrence, (the surgery) was performed as a precautionary measure according to her doctor's opinion, and the decision was made after much discussion," SM Entertainment said, as quoted by Soompi.

It is estimated that Winter will take a month to fully recover while preparing for her planned aespa comeback in May 2024.

Definition of Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax (PTX) is a medical term used to describe the condition of a collapsed (deflated) lung. PTX occurs when air enters the space between the lung and the pleural lining that surrounds the organ. This can occur due to an injury to the chest wall or a rupture in the lung tissue, resulting in the lung collapsing due to changes in air pressure in the lung (compressing the lung).

Causes of Pneumothorax
There are two main types of pneumothorax, traumatic pneumothorax and non-traumatic pneumothorax. Both become pneumothorax (tension PTX). This condition occurs when the air pressure surrounding the lung increases. This will interfere with the development of the lung.

Traumatic Pneumothorax
This type of pneumothorax results from an injury to the chest wall or lung. The injury varies from mild to severe and damages the chest structures causing air to leak into the pleural space. Examples of injuries that often cause PTX are:

1. Trauma chest due to traffic accidents, can cause closed or open injuries.
2. Patah ribs.
3. Pukulan hard hits to the chest from sports, usually causing closed injuries.
4. Luka stab or gunshot wounds to the chest.
5. Prosedur-medical procedures that may injure the lungs. Examples include central line insertion, ventilator use, lung tissue biopsy, and CPR.
6. Scuba diving and mountain climbing can also cause PTX, as changes in altitude cause air bubbles to form in the lungs, which can cause rupture and then collapse.

Nontraumatic Pneumothorax
This type of pneumothorax occurs spontaneously and is divided into two types, primary and secondary:

1. Pneumotoraks Primary spontaneous pneumothorax is a collapsed lung that sometimes occurs in people without lung disease. This can happen because abnormal air sacs in the lungs rupture and release air. 
2. Beberapa factors that can increase the risk of primary spontaneous PTX include being young (10-30 years old), being male, being thin, smoking, having congenital diseases such as marfan syndrome, being exposed to substances from the environment and work, experiencing extreme changes in atmospheric pressure and weather.
3. Pneumotoraks Secondary spontaneous PTX is PTX that occurs in individuals who have previous lung disease. Several lung diseases can cause lung collapse, namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, acute or chronic infection (tuberculosis or pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, and lung cancer.

Symptoms of Pneumothorax
The symptoms of traumatic and spontaneous pneumothorax are almost indistinguishable, but symptoms of traumatic pneumothorax tend to appear at the time of the trauma, or shortly thereafter. Generally, an attack of spontaneous pneumothorax symptoms occurs when the sufferer is at rest. A sudden onset of chest pain is often the first symptom.

Other symptoms may include:

1. Rasa persistent pain in the chest.
2. Sesak breathing or dyspnea.
3. Keluar with cold sweat.
4. Sensasi pulling (tightness) in the chest.
5. Membiru (cyanosis).
6. Takikardia heavy (fast heart rate).

When to See a Doctor?
If you experience the symptoms of pneumothorax above, see a doctor immediately for further treatment. Download Halo Hermina now on the Apps Store and Google Play.

 

Reference:
Winter Aespa Reportedly Undergoes Pneumothorax Surgery, Will Recover Within a Month - Health Liputan6.com
Winter Aespa Experienced 'Lung Collapse' and Underwent Surgery, Is This the Trigger? (detik.com)
Pneumothorax - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment | Halodoc