SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF PNEUMOTHORAX - STUD Y OF A SERIES OF 400 CASES

Surgical management is indicated for recurrent forms of pneumothorax a s well as for failures of tube drainage. We report a series of 400 pat ients trated surgically mainly by pleural abrasion over the past 17 ye ars. Statistical analysis of the results identifies two groups: 308 pa tients under the agest 45 yean had surgery mainly for spontaneous idio pathic pneumothorax, where as 92 patients over the agest 45 years had surgery mainly for emphysema. In young patients, the axillary incision was preferred due to the lack of muscular sequelae and to avoid unple asant aesthetic sequelae. Postoperative complications occurred in 60 p atients (15%). The main complication was a residual pneumothorax after drain removal requiring further drainage (10%). A single recurrence o ccurred (0.25%). Pleural abrasion is a very effective way to treat rec urrent forms of pneumothorax.