[Pulmonary tissue welding--the method of nonresectional intervention for spontaneous pneumothorax]

New method of the viable tissues welding was applied for spontaneous pneumothorax treatment. There was presented first experience of pulmonary tissue welding without its resection. Since January, 2005 there were performed 17 operations of restricted thoracotomy in randomly selected patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. During the operation there were revealed solitary disseminated bullas in 4 (23.5%) observations, intrapulmonary and superficial--in 8 (47%), thin-wall bullas conglomerate--in 5 (29.5%). In 6 patients up to the operation performance the air passage was preserved. In all the patients the parts of emphysematously changed pulmonary tissue were processed using bipolar set up of original construction. In all the patients there were achieved the bullas electroablation and pulmonary tissue closure without usage of suturing devices or manual suturing. The pneumothorax recurrence, bleeding, durable passage of air, infection complications were not observed. The authors consider the method of emphysematously changed tissue welding a secure one in treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax, omitting pulmonary tissue resection.