The most common cause of spontaneous pneumothorax is a ruptured bled, which occurs mostly in young patients and they are usually usually treated by tube thoracostomy. Recurrence frequently occurs and these patients require some form of surgical
intervention. From march 1990 to February 1994, we have experienced 19 cases of recurrent pneumothorax in 16 patients among 347 patients who underwent 423 surgical interventions. The name of first operation after thoracotomy were bullectomy in 4
cases
bullectomy and pleurodesis in 3 cases, bullectomy, pleurodesis in addition to application of tissue sealant in 1 case. Thoracoscopic operations were performed as follows: bullectomy in 2 cases, electroablation plus tissue sealant in 4 cases,
electroablation, tissue sealant and pleurodesis in 1 case, and in 4 cases only tissue sealant was applied.
The average age of patients are 21.5 years, and bilaterally operated patients and patients . who received tissue sealant or tissue sealant plus electrocauterization only had higher incidence of recurrence. The patients who needed chest tube
insertion
longer than 5 days after the first operation were 52.6%, and 82.3% recurred within one month of the first operation. (Korean J Thoracic Cardiovas Surg 1994; 27:683-8)
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