PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J Freixinet
AU  - E Canalis
AU  - JJ Rivas
AU  - F Rodriguez de Castro
AU  - J Torres
AU  - JM Gimferrer
AU  - J Sanchez-Lloret
TI  - Surgical treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax with video-assisted thoracic surgery
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.97.10020409
DP  - 1997 Feb 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 409--411
VI  - 10
IP  - 2
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/10/2/409.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/10/2/409.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1997 Feb 01; 10
AB  - We report the results of our experience using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to treat primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) from January 1992 until December 1994 in a multicentered co-operative study. A total of 132 patients (110 males and 22 females, aged 13-38 yrs, mean age 26 yrs) were treated by VATS to deal with the PSP that they presented with. A standard VATS technique was used. Apical bullae were always removed, and mechanical pleural abrasion was performed, leaving a pleural drainage tube. In two cases (1.5%), a switch to thoracotomy was necessary. In eight cases (6%), air leakage persisted for 5 days after surgery, which resolved with pleural drainage. There were eight postoperative relapses (6%), which were treated with pleural drainage (n = 4), VATS (n = 3) or axillar thoracotomy (n = 1). The average postoperative stay was 5.6 days (range 2-15 days). We conclude that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a viable alternative for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. There is, however, a high relapse rate, and in a number of cases air leakage persists in the postoperative period.