Parietal pleurectomy as a method of treatment of recurrent pneumothorax: long-term functional results

A retrospective study of 297 patients treated surgically due to recurrent pneumothorax between 1974 and 1990 was performed with special reference to long-term functional results, compared with preoperative values. Duration of follow-up was 5 years. 44 patients from this group were hospitalised twice at our department. The first incident of pneumothorax was treated by chest tube drainage, the next by parietal pleurectomy. Each time, with both lungs expanded VC, MVV and FEV1 were measured. It gave a unique occasion to compare real pre- and postoperative spirometric results in the same patient (in other publications postoperative results are usually compared to predicted values taken from different tables). There was no significant impairment of the mechanical efficiency of respiration. Surgical complications were rare and minor with no deaths. There were no postoperative recurrences of pneumothorax. This series indicates that pleurectomy is a safe and reliable method of protection against recurrence of pneumothorax.