Bilateral pneumothorax: a retrospective analysis of 40 patients

To retrospectively investigate the effectiveness of tube drainage in the treatment of bilateral pneumothorax.

We retrospectively examined 40 patients with bilateral pneumothorax treated at the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Departments of Selcuk University between January 1994 and December 2000. There were 37 male and 3 female patients, aged 5-80 years (mean age, 42 years). The definite diagnosis of pneumothorax was made by radiological evaluation. In total, 38 tube drainage, 2 thoracentesis, and observation procedures were done, and some patients also required thoracotomy or median sternotomy.

The types of pneumothorax were spontaneous in 9 patients, traumatic in 30, and iatrogenic in 1. We treated simultaneous bilateral pneumothorax in 34 patients and nonsimultaneous bilateral pneumothorax in 6 patients by tube drainage or additional surgical treatment. Two patients died.

Bilateral pneumothorax may require extended hospital stay and could result in death. We think that tube drainage is appropriate and effective for most cases of bilateral pneumothorax.