Long-Term Results after Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Spontaneous Pneumothorax

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of the long-term results of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for spontaneous pneumothorax in patients treated in two surgical centres from May 1994 until December 2000. METHODS: A cohort of 86 patients was studied retrospectively. For final analysis, 74 patients undergoing 76 VATS procedures were included. RESULTS: Sixty-three procedures for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) and 13 procedures for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) were performed. In 78.9% (n = 60) blebs or bullae were resected with an endostapler device. In 2.6% (n = 2) an apical fibrotic zone was resected. In 71.1% (n = 54) a subtotal pleurectomy was performed combined with an abrasion in 41 cases. In 21.1% (n = 16) a total pleurectomy and in 7.8% (n = 6) an abrasion was performed. Operative mortality was 1.3% (n = 1) and total operative morbidity 25.4% in the PSP group and 76.9% in the SSP group. Mean follow-up was 36 months. The global recurrence rate was 5.3% (n = 4), being 4.8% (n = 3) in the PSP group and 7.7% (n = 1) in the SSP group. Recurrences occurred at 1 (n = 2), 2 (n = 1) and 16 (n = 1) months after the initial operation. The incidence of postoperative neuralgia was 17.1% (n = 13). One patient needed analgesics for the neuralgia. CONCLUSION: VATS treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax proves to be effective. In cases of SSP, VATS treatment is feasible but a higher morbidity rate should be anticipated.