title: Effect of decortication and pleurectomy in chronic empyema patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fibrosis that occurs in the chronic phase of pleural empyema restricts lung movement and impairs pulmonary function. It also leads to asymmetry of the chest wall. We evaluated the efficacy of decortication and pleurectomy in improving these adverse consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 50 patients (42 males, mean age 49.1 ± 19.46 years) with chronic empyema who underwent lung decortication via a posterolateral thoracotomy between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed in this study. All patients had pulmonary function tests before and after surgery. Computed tomography was used to determine transverse and anteroposterior diameters of the chest before and after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients were followed up for 11.5 ± 4.5 months. Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s was 62.5% ± 13.61% before surgery vs. 77.3% ± 13.31% after surgery (p < 0.001). Mean forced vital capacity was 60.6% ± 14.38% before surgery vs. 78.5% ± 12.64% after surgery (p < 0.001). The improvement in patients with reduced chest wall diameters was significant (p < 0.001). Improvements in pulmonary function tests and chest wall diameters were not significantly different between patients with tuberculosis (n = 10) and those with other diseases (n = 40; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decortication and pleurectomy via a posterolateral thoracotomy significantly improves pulmonary function and chest wall diameters in patients with chronic empyema due to tuberculosis or other diseases.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran bagherir@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ziaollah
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Haghi
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Marziyeh Nouri
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Dalouee
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ata'ollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajabnejad
authors.affiliation: Lung Disease Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Basiri
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hajian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003646:Debridement / Q000009:adverse effects; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004654:Empyema, Tuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014797:Vital Capacity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic disease; Debridement; Empyema; Respiratory function tests; Thoracic wall; pleural; tuberculous