The spontaneous pneumothorax occurs subsequent to a disruption in the continuity of the visceral pleura with escape of free air into the pleural space included primary & secondary pneumothorax that is unrelated to identifiable etiologies such as
trauma.
In the 33 year period 1960 to 1993, the 230 cases of open thoracotomy were carried out for definitive treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax, at the Dept. of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery. National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
There were 193 men & 37 women. They ranged in age from 15 years old to 72 years old. The lesion site was on the right side in 117 and on the left in 97, the 16 cases were in bilateral lesions.
Surgical indications included recurrence in 98 cases, persistent air leak in 68 cases, nonexpansion of the lung 37 cases, roentgenologically apparent bullae & blebs in 23 cases, bilateral lesions in 16 cases, combined hemothorax & prevent for
recurrence
in each 2 cases. The types of operation were bullectomy in 207 cases, wedge resection in 13 cases, decortication & B.P.F. closure in 6 cases, lobectomy in 2 cases, pneumonectomy, plication in each 1 case. The post operative complication developed
in 18
cases(7.8%), there was 1 case of death due to sepsis.
We believed that open thoracotomy with resection or obliteration of blebs & pleurodes is provided the best protection against recurrence. (Korean J Thoracic Cardiovas Surg 1994; 27:1002-7)
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