ROLE OF VIDEO-ASSISTED THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY (VATS) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RECURRENT PNEUMOTHORAX

Abstract

The mean age of patients was 34±11.39 years, and 14 were men (70%). A11 patients under went VATS for management of recurrent pneumothorax. Procedures included stapling of an identified bleb, which was done in 4 cases pleurodesis by gauze abrasion (n=17) and apical pleurectomy (n=17). Three patients underwent miniaxi11ary thoracotomy for ligation of large bullae. Postoperative complications included air leak for five days in one patient (1/17) and low grade fever for one-day post operatively in six •patients (6/17). Utilization of resource analysis showed great advantage in favour of VATS Compared to retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent thoracotomy.