title: [Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for treatment of pleural empyema].
abstract: During 1996-2003 a total of 359 patients were treated for empyema. Forty eight of them (with parapneumonic empyema) were prospectively randomized into 2 groups of 24 patients who underwent early decortication either by thoracotomy or VATS. Comparing to thoracotomy group, VATS group had a significantly shorter chest tube duration (5.8+/-1.1 vs 9+/-1.3 days; p=0.03) and postoperative in-hospital stay with parapneumonic empyema (8.7+/-0.9 vs 12.8+/-1.1 days; p=0.009). VATS has been found to be particularly useful for treating the fibrinopurulent phase of empyema, in which multiple loculations could be easily disrupted to allow adequate drainage of a "cleaned" pleural space. On the other hand, although VATS is highly effective, it is not indicated in every patient and it's indiscriminate use may lead to none required operative interventions.
authors.forename: Ts
authors.initials: Ts
authors.lastname: Minchev
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dzhambazov
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stanoev
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aleksov
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petkov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002031:Bulgaria; D015505:Chest Tubes; D004322:Drainage; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D013908:Thoracotomy