[When must pulmonary tuberculosis be treated surgically even today?]

Out of 571 patients with a chest complaint 58 were operated on for TB of the lungs. The average age was 43. With the exception of 9 patients, who were suspected of having a primary carcinoma of the lung, the operation was basically carried out after unsuccessful antituberculostatic therapy. The need to operate has to take into account adequately not only the morphological and functional changes in the lungs but also the social circumstances of the patient. In 78,7% of operations resections of lung tissue were used. 66,7% lobectomies, 18,8% wedge dissections, 8,3% pneumectomies and 6,2% bilobectomies were carried out. There were no deaths after operations. Surgical therapy of TB of the lungs still plays an important part in the treatment of TB and its success is mainly dependent on the timing in accordance with the indication.