[Surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax]

Experience obtained from surgical treatment of 107 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax is reported in this paper. Surgical approaches depended on primary disease, rate of recurrence, and localisation. Chemical pleurodesis was performed in addition to cautious pulmonary resection on 44 patients, while partial or sub-total pleurectomy was performed on 41 patients for prophylaxis against recurrence. Additional interventions, including decortication, were necessary in many cases. Three patients were sternotomised for bilateral processes.