Treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax by videothoracoscopic talc pleurodesis under local anesthesia: a review of 133 procedures.
OBJECTIVE
To review our experience of treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax by videothoracoscopic talc pleurodesis.


METHODS
From 2000 to 2008, 124 consecutive patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax were operated; 105 were men (84.7%) and 19 were women (15.3%) with a mean age of 26.6 years (range 17-46 years).


RESULTS
No mortality was recorded. Staging according to Vanderschueren's classification was as follows: stage I, 61 patients (45.9%); stage II, 39 patients (29.3%); stage III, 31 patients (23.3%); stage IV, two patients (1.5%). The overall rate of complications was 9% (12/133), corresponding to prolonged air leak in 9(6.7%) patients and hemothorax in 3(2.2%) patients. Four patients (3%) had recurrence requiring reoperation. There were no episodes of acute respiratory failure, pneumonia or subcutaneous emphysema following talc pleurodesis.


CONCLUSIONS
Thoracoscopic pleural talc pleurodesis as a treatment for recurrent pneumothorax is easy, safe, and rapid, and causes minimal morbidity and mortality.
Department of Thoracic Surgery and Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Servei de Cirurgia Toràcica, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain. ricardramos@ub.edu
R
R
Ramos-Izquierdo
J
J
Moya
I
I
Macia
F
F
Rivas
A
A
Ureña
G
G
Rosado
I
I
Escobar
J
J
Saumench
A
A
Cabrera
M A
MA
Delgado
R
R
Villalonga
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018700:Pleurodesis / Q000379:methods*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013627:Talc / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D013627:Talc