title: [Endoscopic surgery accelerates recovery from empyema].
abstract: The incidence of thoracic empyema is increasing. Early treatment of empyema should focus on optimal drainage and antibiotics. If conventional therapy fails, surgical intervention has to be considered and approximately 30% of all patients require surgery. In a three-year period (2011-2013), 182 patients were operated at Helsinki University Hospital due to pleural empyema. Thoracoscopic decortication was performed on 44% of the patients and 56% underwent open surgery. After thoracoscopy, the patients had a shorter hospital stay and fewer reoperations. Thoracoscopic decortication should therefore be the first-line procedure in the surgical treatment of pleural empyema.
authors.forename: Annu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nummi
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kauppi
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piilonen
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sihvo
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salo
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D016896:Treatment Outcome