We performed early decortication in 32 cases of postpneumonic empyema
during the period of February 1991 to December 1995. Twenty of them we
re male and 12 of them were female. We evaluated these cases retrospec
tively. Decortication was saved for the patients where antimicrobial t
herapy and closed-tube drainage had failed to achieve a cure and was p
erformed on the 10-15th day after the diagnosis was established. Indic
ations for the decortication were persistant fever (9), pulmonary air
leakage (7), localized effusion (7), persistant respiratory distress (
5) and pleural thickening without resolution (28). Decortication was p
erformed through the standard posterolateral thoracotomy. Patients wer
e discharged on the 8th postoperative day with minimal morbidity and n
o mortality. Because of the simplicity of the procedure (short hospita
lization periods, low mortality and morbidity rates) good results were
achieved with early decortication.