In Pusan Paik Hospital, Inie university, we experienced 174 cases of pulmonary resections for pulmonary tuberculosis from Jun. 1979 to Feb. 1990. In all of them automatic stapling devices were used for division of lung parenchyme and /or bronchial closure. The results were as follows ;
1. In 174 cases(male 100, female 74), third and fourth decades were 116 cases(66.7%).
2. Indications for lung resection in the radiographic findings were destroyed lung 47 cases(27.00/o), destroyed lobe 42 cases(24.1%), cavitary lesions 42 cases(24.1%), tuberculoma 22 cases (12.7%), and bronchial lesions 21 cases (12. 1%).
3. The mean of staplers used in the operations was 1.6, and possible stapler-associated complications were only 2 cases of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy.
4. Twenty-seven of 36 patients with bilateral lesions and 52 of unilateral ones on chest X-ray films were AFB positive on preoperative sputum smears. Twenty-three(85.2%) of bilateral lesions and 51(98.1%) of unilateral ones were AFB negative at 6 months after operations.
5. Main complications of resections were operative death 1(0.6%), empyema 4(2.3%), respiratory insufficiency 3(1.7%), pleural dead space 5(2.9%), and bronchial speading of tuberculosis 2(1.1%). Bronchopleural fistula were only 2 cases after pneumonectomy and none after lobectomy or segmentectomy.
6. One hundred and forty two patients (92.8%) of 153 with available follow-up data were in the state of good quality of life.
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