[Surgical pleurodesis in spontaneous pneumothorax].

Over a five year period 41 operations for spontaneous pneumothorax were performed on 38 patients. In all cases a transaxillary thoracotomy was performed in the third, or in some cases the fourth, intercostal space. Bullae were resected and operative pleurodesis carried out by rubbing the parietal pleura with a dry sponge. The indications for operation were: 1) More than one episode of pneumothorax on the relevant side. 2) The first incidence of pneumothorax if the patient had pneumothorax on the contralateral side before. 3) Continuous leakage of air after a week of drainage. One patient had to be reoperated for recurrence of pneumothorax, and one was reoperated due to formation of a large postoperative haematoma. One patient developed paresis of the serratus anterior muscle due to lesion of the long thoracic nerve.