• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 1992

Background: From 1973 we performed EPPT for the 3,500 cases of the cavitary tuberculosis who were not responded well to the antimicrobial drugs, and we evaluated the 1,003 cases who could be followed up to more than 3 years postoperatively. Method: The key of the EPPT was that the 5-8 ribs of unilateral chest were denuded at the one stage operation and the paraffine was used as the plomb of filling the dead space out of the collapsed periosteums and intercostal muscles. Result and Conclusion: Number of patients who had unilateral EPPT was 759 and bilateral 244. The late complication were subscapular abscess (12) lump formation (42) and paraffine expectoration (26). All of those complications was cured after removal of the packed paraffine. Sputum conversion rates were 91.6% in the group with cavity less than 3 cm and 41.8% in the group with cavity bigger than 5cm.