[Covering with absorbable mesh for treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax by thoracoscopic surgery]

It became a severe problem that the rate of recurrence after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for spontaneous pneumothorax was higher than open surgery. It has been reported that the newly bullae formation near the stapled line was one of reasons. From December 1997, We have performed the method of covering the stapled line with both adsorbable mesh and the fibrin glue. The additional utility of the mesh was assessed by comparing with the method using fibrin glue only for the reinforcement of the stapled line. Rate of recurrence is 2.1% in the mesh group and 14.6% in the only fibrin glue group. These results suggested usefulness of covering with absorbable mesh.