ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Francis H. Cole
Alim Khandekar
James W. Pate
William A. Walker
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cole, F. H.
Right arrow Articles by Walker, W. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cole, F. H., Jr
Right arrow Articles by Walker, W. A.

Ann Thorac Surg 1995;60:931-935
© 1995 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons


Articles

Video-assisted thoracic surgery: Primary therapy for spontaneous pneumothorax?

MD F. Hammond Cole, Jra,b,*, MD Francis H. Colea,b, MD Alim Khandekara,b, MD J. Matthew Maxwella,b, MD James W. Patea,b, MD William A. Walkera,b

a Section of Thoracic Surgery, University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
b Department of Thoracic Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, USA

* Address reprint requests to Dr F. Hammond Cole, 1325 Eastmoreland, Suite 310, Memphis, TN 38104.

Background.: This study assessed the role of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in current therapy for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Methods.: We compared a retrospective series of 89 patients treated conventionally with a consecutive group of 30 patients undergoing VATS pleural abrasion. The 89 earlier patients were predominantly male (81%). Treatment groups included observation/aspiration (7 or 17%), tube thoracostomy (32 or 36%), multiple tubes (7 or 9%), and thoracotomy (43 or 48%). Of the 30 patients treated with VATS, 18 (66%) were male. Primary indications for operation were recurrent pneumothorax (17) and persistent air leak (9).

Results.: Hospital lengths of stay (LOS) for the earlier group were 5 days for simple tube and 7 days for primary thoracotomy; LOS for initial intervention followed by thoracotomy exceeded 15 days in all subgroups. The average LOS in the VATS group was 13 days; 6 patients treated with primary VATS (no chest tube) had a mean LOS of 6.5 days. Complications included 3 (10%) prolonged air leaks (more than 7 days) and 2 (7%) early recurrences.

Conclusions.: We do not recommend VATS as primary therapy for spontaneous pneumothorax; tube thoracostomy remains the treatment of choice. However, we strongly support surgical intervention early (3 days) in patients with a persistent air leak, and as primary therapy in a nonurgent situation if standard indications exist. This study shows no advantage of VATS over conventional thoracotomy in hospital stay or complication rate.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
ThoraxHome page
A. MacDuff, A. Arnold, J. Harvey, and on behalf of the BTS Pleural Disease Guideline Gro
Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: British Thoracic Society pleural disease guideline 2010
Thorax, August 1, 2010; 65(Suppl_2): ii18 - ii31.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
S. H. Chou, H. P. Li, J. Y. Lee, S. J. Chang, Y. L. Lee, Y. T. Chang, E. L. Kao, Z. K. Dai, and M. F. Huang
Is prophylactic treatment of contralateral blebs in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax indicated?
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., May 1, 2010; 139(5): 1241 - 1245.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur J Cardiothorac SurgHome page
R. Kawachi, H. Takei, Y. Koshi-ishi, and T. Goya
Novel method for bulla detection with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg, July 1, 2008; 34(1): 212 - 213.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
J-M. Tschopp, R. Rami-Porta, M. Noppen, and P. Astoul
Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: state of the art.
Eur. Respir. J., September 1, 2006; 28(3): 637 - 650.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
S. Sawada, Y. Watanabe, and S. Moriyama
Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Evaluation of Indications and Long-term Outcome Compared With Conservative Treatment and Open Thoracotomy
Chest, June 1, 2005; 127(6): 2226 - 2230.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
P.-E. Falcoz, C. Binquet, F. Clement, D. Kaili, C. Quantin, S. Chocron, and J.-P. Etievent
Management of the second episode of spontaneous pneumothorax: a decision analysis
Ann. Thorac. Surg., December 1, 2003; 76(6): 1843 - 1848.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
M. Gotoh, T. Okamoto, Y. Yamamoto, D. Liu, K. Kameyama, E. Hayashi, C.-L. Huang, and H. Yokomise
Development of a canine model of pulmonary emphysema and imaging of the emphysematous lung with infrared thoracoscopy
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., December 1, 2003; 126(6): 1916 - 1921.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ThoraxHome page
M Henry, T Arnold, and J Harvey
BTS guidelines for the management of spontaneous pneumothorax
Thorax, May 1, 2003; 58(90002): ii39 - 52.
[Full Text]


Home page
Eur J Cardiothorac SurgHome page
G. Torresini, M. Vaccarili, D. Divisi, and R. Crisci
Is video-assisted thoracic surgery justified at first spontaneous pneumothorax?
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg, July 1, 2001; 20(1): 42 - 45.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
G. Massard, P. Thomas, and J.-M. Wihlm
Minimally invasive management for first and recurrent pneumothorax
Ann. Thorac. Surg., August 1, 1998; 66(2): 592 - 599.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
B. Passlick, C. Born, K. Haussinger, and O. Thetter
Efficiency of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Primary and Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 1998; 65(2): 324 - 327.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
S. Nazari
Psychological Implications in the Surgical Treatment of Pneumothorax
Ann. Thorac. Surg., June 1, 1997; 63(6): 1830 - 1831.
[Full Text]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
H.-P. Liu, C.-H. Chang, P. J. Lin, and M.-J. Hsieh
THORACOSCOPIC LOOP LIGATION OF PARENCHYMAL BLEBS AND BULLAE: IS IT EFFECTIVE AND SAFE?
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., January 1, 1997; 113(1): 50 - 54.
[Abstract] [Full Text]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1995 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.