Purpose: Persistent air leakage and recurrence are the most common indications for the surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax; however, the optimal timing for surgery is still unclear.
Methods: The subjects of this study were 90 patients treated for either primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP; n = 58) or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP; n = 32). We compared the incidence of prolonged air leak, the rate of recurrence of pneumothorax, the time from the first episode of pneumothorax to recurrence, and the postoperative complications in the two groups. We also analyzed the recurrence rate after treatment with observation and tube drainage versus surgery.
Results: Seventy-three patients were treated with tube thoracostomy or oxygen therapy for the first episode of pneumothorax. Surgery was performed in 32 patients; for the first episode of pneumothorax in 17 and for the second or third episode in 15. Postoperative complications developed in six (18.7%) patients and 24 of 73 patients who did not undergo thoracotomy suffered recurrence. The incidence of a second episode was 32.9% and the incidence of a third episode in the 18 patients who suffered recurrence after conservative treatment was 61.1%. None of the patients who underwent surgery suffered recurrence.
Conclusions: Tube thoracostomy is still the treatment of choice for first-time spontaneous pneumothorax. However, because the incidence of a third episode of pneumothorax after conservative treatment is high, surgical treatment should always be considered for patients with recurrence. In short, surgical intervention is safe and effective and minimizes the chance of recurrence of both PSP and SSP.