title: Outcomes of the Tower Crane Technique with a 15-mm Trocar in Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) pulmonary wedge resection has emerged as the standard treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Recently, single-port VATS has been introduced and is now widely performed. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of the Tower crane technique as novel technique using a 15-mm trocar and anchoring suture in primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who underwent single-port VATS wedge resection in Chungnam National University Hospital from April 2012 to March 2014 were enrolled. The medical records of the enrolled patients were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,251 patients were diagnosed with pneumothorax during this period, 270 of whom underwent VATS wedge resection. Fifty-two of those operations were single-port VATS wedge resections for primary spontaneous pneumothorax performed by a single surgeon. The median age of the patients was 19.3±11.5 years old, and 43 of the patients were male. The median duration of chest tube drainage following the operation was 2.3±1.3 days, and mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.2±1.3 days. Prolonged air leakage for more than three days following the operation was observed in one patient. The mean duration of follow-up was 18.7±6.1 months, with a recurrence rate of 3.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tower crane technique with a 15-mm trocar may be a promising treatment modality for patients presenting with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Yooyoung
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Hyun Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Shin Kwang
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Myung Hoon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Jae Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Seung Pyung
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Min-Woong
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: Pneumothorax; Video-assisted thoracic surgery