IS RADIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE CHEST NECESSARY FOLLOWING FLANK SURGERY

Purpose: We determined whether routine postoperative chest radiography is warranted after flank surgery to assess for pneumothorax. Material s and Methods: A retrospective study of 253 adult flank operations per formed during a 6-year period was conducted. Results: Incidental pleur otomy occurred in 63 cases (24.9%). The performance of rib resection a nd the level of rib removed as well as female gender had a significant impact on this occurrence. Pleurotomy was treated by a simple evacuat ion technique and tube thoracostomy was not necessary. Only 2 patients (0.8%) had a postoperative pneumothorax without intraoperative recogn ition of pleurotomy, which resolved without intervention. Conclusions: Routine postoperative chest radiography to assess for pneumothorax fo llowing open flank surgery is not necessary.