Long term follow up of thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis for primary spontaneous pneumothorax

¹ Pulmonary Medicine
² Radiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pchhajed{at}uhbs.ch.

	Abstract

To evaluate the long term outcome of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax treated with talc pleurodesis.

A follow up study was undertaken in all patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax who underwent talc pleurodesis for prolonged airleak or recurrence using thoracoscopy.

112 patients underwent pleurodesis and follow up could be obtained in 63 (56%) patients (45 clinical, 14 telephonic, 4 dead). The causes of death were unrelated to the pleurodesis. There were no episodes of acute respiratory failure following pleurodesis. 56 out of 63 patients (95%) had a successful pleurodesis. Surgical pleurectomy was needed in three patients (5%) for persistent air leak. Median duration of follow up after talc pleurodesis was 118 months. Long term success was observed in 53/56 patients (95%). Recurrent pneumothorax was observed in 3/56 patients (5%). Patients with successful talc pleurodesis had a median FVC of 102% and median TLC of 99% at follow up. Comparing smokers and non-smokers, FEV₁% was significantly lower in smokers and there was a tendency for FEV₁/FVC ratio to be lower in smokers.

Talc pleurodesis in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothroax via thoracoscopy is an effective procedure associated with normal lung function in patients who do not smoke.

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