• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1020-1024
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• 1992

Thirty-four patients underwent 39 subaxillary minithoracotomies for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax from June 1987 to April 1992. The age of patients ranged from 17 to 32 years. The ratio of male to female was 8.8: 1 with male predominance. The associated pulmonary lesions and pleural adhesion were not seen on the chest X-rays in all cases. Average operative time was 83 minutes[30~130 min]. Postoperative average duration of air leakage was 2.4 days, the chest tube indwelling was 5.1 days, and postoperative hospital stay was 8 days, Analgegics were not given for pain control postoperatively In conclusion, the subaxillary minithoracotomy has the following advantages: reducing the operative time, postoperative pain, morbidity, hospital stay, shoulder problems, and excellent cosmetic result.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.403-407
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• 1996

One hundred and twenty three patients underwent 137 thoracostomies for spontaneous pneumothorax in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gyeongsang National University from January 1987 to December 1994. There were 118 men and 6 women and average age was )2.4 years. The two most common surgical Indications were recurrent pneumothorax and continuous air leakage. Other indications were visible bullae on simple X-ray, previous contralateral pneumothorax, incomplete expansion of the lung, and bilateral pneumothoraces. Methods of thoracotomy were subaxillary thoracotomy in 82 cases, lateral minithoracotomy in 12 cases and posterolateral thoracotomy in 43 cases. Operation time was 63.0 $\pm$ 30.8, 98.3 $\pm$ 37.9, 186.9 $\pm$ 87.9 minutes respectively, and postoperative chest tube keeping time was 5.2 $\pm$ 4.1 days in subaxillary thoracotomy, 6.2 $\pm$ 5.0 days in minithoracotomy and 10.0 $\pm$ 5.8 days in posterolateral thoracotomy Bullae were present mostly at the apex in spontaneous and tuberculous pneumothorax comparred to the cases of chronic obstructive or emphysematous lung disease, where there were no redilection of presence of bullae (p< 0.01). Operative procedures were wedge resection, bullae obliteration and lobectomy. Postoperative complications were continuous air leakage, bleeding, brachial plexus injury, empyema, and wound infection, but all the complications were cured by the time of discharge. There was no mortality.