Treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax by mechanical pleurodesis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

@#Objective    To investigate the clinical efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods    A retrospective analysis of 157 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax undergoing VATS from January 2012 to March 2016 in our hospital was done. According to different treatments, patients were divided into two groups a group A (65 patients receving pleurodesis, 52 males and 13 females with a mean age of 34.77 years ranging from 17 to 73 years) and a group B (92 patients without pleurodesis, 76 males and 16 females with a mean age of 34.66 years ranging from 16 to 72 years). In the group A 29 patients underwent closed thoracic drainage; while in the group B there were 39 patients. Results    The patients were followed up for 3 months to 4 years. The recurrence rate of the group A was lower than that of the group B, but the difference was not statistically significant. For patients receving closed thoracic drainage preoperatively, intraoperative drainage volume at postoperative 24 h in the group A was more than that of the group B, but postoperative hospital stay was less than that of the group B (P<0.05). For patients not receving closed thoracic drainage preoperatively, drainage volume at postoperative 24 h, total drainage volume, postoperative hospital stay in the group A were more than those of the group B (P<0.05). Conclusion    Pleurodesis can not reduce the recurrence rate of spontaneous pneumothorax. Preoperative closed thoracic drainage combined with intraoperative pleurodesis can effectively reduce postoperative hospitalization; therefore pleurodesis is recommended. If preoperative closed thoracic drainage is not adopted, surgery without pleurodesis can effectively reduce thoracic drainage at postoperative 24 h, total drainage volume and hospital stay and the perioperative results are better; therefore mechanical pleurodesis is not recommended.