[The use of a plasma unit in surgery of the lung and pleura]

On the basis of 35 experiments on dogs and clinical experience in operations on the lungs and pleura in 11 patients with the use of a plasma stream and special miniature nozzles the authors revealed the following: reliable hemostasis and aerostasis in cutting pulmonary tissue and pleura; tissue wounds inflicted by a stream of plasma are sterile; the zone of coagulation necrosis is no larger than 1 mm; healing occurs predominantly according to the type of aseptic productive inflammation with growth of connective tissue into the thermal crust. The operation in all patients was successful, no complications developed. The design of the BCBY-160 plasma apparatus should be improved to make it more compact, to reduce its size.