A COMPARATIVE RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF THORACOSCOPY VERSUS THORACOTOMY FOR THE TREATMENT OF SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX

Thoracoscopic surgery has been claimed to reduce patient disability, r ecovery time, and hospital costs compared with open surgery. We analyz ed 25 patients who had undergone thoracoscopic surgery and compared th e outcome to 24 patients who had undergone conventional surgery for sp ontaneous pneumothorax. The thoracoscopic group was able to return to work and daily activities earlier and had less impairment of shoulder movement. There was a loss of sensation corresponding to the dermatome s where the thoracoscopic ports were placed, which could have resulted from compression of the intercostal nerves by the instruments. Howeve r, a similar loss of sensation was found in the thoracotomy group. We conclude that thoracoscopy may be the method of choice for the treatme nt of spontaneous pneumothorax, although further methodological develo pment should be done.