[The surgical treatment of chronic empyema--from the stand point of preservation and improvement of pulmonary function].
During the period of 1978 to 1990, 247 patients with chronic empyema were operated. The cure rate was 88.3%. The operation was not successful in 29 patients (11.7%), of whom 19 were operative death and 10 were those whose condition never improved to the level of discharge. The pulmonary function improved post-operatively in those patients who underwent decortication and air-plombage, but not in those who underwent pleuropneumonectomy and thoracoplasty (modification of Grow's method). Most remarkable changes of pulmonary function were seen in patients who underwent thoracoplasty. Air-plombage was found effective in controlling empyema and for the preservation and improvement of post-operative pulmonary functions.
Komatsu
H
H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tokyo National Chest Hospital, Japan.
Katayama
T
T
Murakami
K
K
Sagara
Y
Y
Hayashi
K
K
D002908:Chronic Disease; D004653:Empyema / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology; D008722:Methods