[Surgical treatment of chronic empyema and postoperative pulmonary function]

Pulmonary function was evaluated in patients who were operated on for chronic empyema between October 1973 and October 1988. Fourteen patients underwent decortication, 61 were treated by the Kinchu method, 20 were treated by muscle flap and thoracoplasty, and one underwent pleuropnemonectomy. With decortication or the Kinchu method, significant postoperative improvement was noted in both percent forced vital capacity and FEV1/predicted initial capacity. However with muscle flap and thoracoplasty, percent forced vital capacity decreased. Ventilation and perfusion lung scan showed that pulmonary function improved in patients with good re-expansion of the lung who had suffered from short term lung collapse and no pathological changes in collapsed lung parenchyma.