Spontaneous Pneumothorax Recurrence and Surgery

Spontaneous pneumothorax that occurs in patients with no underlying lung disease is termed primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Recurrence of pneumothorax is usually seen without surgical procedures at any time. The aim of this study was to determine the recurrence time and rate of PSP after the first episode. A total of 82 PSP patients who had been treated in a thoracic surgery clinic between March 2011 and August 2012 were studied retrospectively. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed in 14 of 82 patients because of prolonged air leakage. These patients were excluded from the study to determine the recurrence period of PSP in our cases. Simple endotracheal intubation with low-volume high-frequency ventilation and three-port VATS technique were applied. Bullae or blebs were excised using an endoscopic linear stapler. Apical pleurectomy was performed in all of the patients. There were no cases in which VATS was converted to open thoracotomy. Recurrence of PSP was seen in 18 (26.47 %) of 68 patients. We found 26.47 % recurrence at the first 7 months, of which 94.4 % occurred at the first 6 months. About 77.77 % of these recurrences occurred at 3 months after discharge from hospital. Recurrence after the first episode of PSP is a common problem within the first 6 months. The thoracic surgeon should give knowledge about it to all patients. With the greater use of VATS for thoracic pathologies, it could be performed for the first period of pneumothorax in the future.