We have experienced 15 cases of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) of spontaneous pneumothorax. The patients ranged in age from 15 years to 29 years(mean age, 19.3years) and male patients were fourteen. The indications of video assisted
thoracoscopic surgery of spontaneous pneumothorax were recurrence, visible blebs on the chest X-ray & others. Intraoperative findings were as follows; blebs(66.7%), pleural adhesion(13.3%) and pleural effusion(6.7%). The operation was performed
under
general anesthesia with double lumen endobronchial tube. Operative procedures included bleb and/or wedge resection, tetracycline pleurodesis with mechanical abrasion. In most cases, postoperative courses were uneventful and patients were
discharged
without specific complications. VATS provided the benefits of lesser postoperative pain, rapid recovery, short hospitalization, and smaller scar of wound.
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