Bilateral bleb excision through median sternotomy.
We believe that when the indications for operation for spontaneous pneumothorax are met, the procedure of choice is bilateral resection of apical blebs and pleural abrasion through a median sternotomy. This approach allows easy access to both lungs and pleural spaces for a condition that is bilateral 100 per cent of the time. The operative morbidity is minimal and it essentially eliminates both ipsilateral and contralateral recurrence of pneumothorax with an operation that is of lesser rather than greater magnitude.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000601:surgery; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000150:complications*; D012008:Recurrence