The Clinical Application of Minithoracotomy Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical results of video-assisted thoracic surgery,anterolateral minithoracotomy and transaxillary minithoracotomy in treating spontaneous pneumothorax.Method: Ninety patients,aged 12 to 64 years,with recurrent,persistent or contralateral spontaneous pneumothorax were involved in this study.Fifty patients were treated by video-assisted thoracic surgery,31 by transaxillary minithoracotomy and 9 by anterolateral minithoracotomy.Result: The follow-up periods of three procedures were from 6 to 9 months;there was none recurrences in all patients after operation.There was no distinctness on the operating time,the drainage of chest tube and days in hospital of the three group patients.Conclusion: There were no advantages of VATS over minithoracotomy for management of spontaneous pneumothorax in regard to the operating time,the drainage of chest tube and days in hospital of patients.Because of the concealed outlook and minimal invasion,minithoracotomy could be used as conventional incision for management of spontaneous pneumothorax.