title: Thoracoscopic pleurodesis.
abstract: Thoracoscopic pleurodesis for pneumothorax was performed on 23 patients (16 men, 7 women), including seven with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, over a 12-month period. Single-lumen intubation with spontaneous ventilation were used making intrapleural insufflation unnecessary. Postoperatively the patients required chest drainage for 1-28 (mean 3) days and remained in hospital for 3-33 (mean 6) days. The 14 gainfully employed patients had 11-40 (mean 20) days' sick leave. Hydrothorax requiring pleurocentesis developed in one patient after thoracoscopy. Pneumothorax recurred in another immediately after removal of the chest drain, but resolved definitively after 2 more days of drainage. A patient with obstructive lung disease required ventilator management for a week after the operation, but otherwise no serious complications were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fosse
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Fjeld
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brockmeier
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buanes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015505:Chest Tubes; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation; D007902:Length of Stay; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000601:surgery*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D011182:Postoperative Care; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000379:methods; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*