Cause and management of recurrent primary spontaneous pneumothorax after thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy

As the number of patients treated by thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy increased, the postoperative recurrence rate had risen unexpectedly. We retrospectively investigated the cause and management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax recurrence after thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy.

From March 1992 to the end of December 2006, thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy was performed in 357 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax at the Nihon University Itabashi Hospital. The causes and management of recurrence were investigated in 30 patients with postoperative recurrence based on items such as the resurgical observations, preoperative chest computed tomography findings, previous operative notes.

Among the patients with bilateral pneumothorax, young patients exhibited a higher tendency for postoperative recurrence. The most common cause was new bulla formation (28 slides, 16 of which were apparently related to the staple line and 12 of which were not related to the staple line).

In thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax, the most common cause of recurrence was new bulla formation. It is necessary to establish additional procedures involving either the visceral pleura or the parietal pleura to reduce the recurrence rate.