Surgery of pulmonary hydatid cyst--the Barrett technique.

A number of methods have been described for the surgical removal of hydatid cysts of the lung. Personal experience of the Barrett technique (Barrett and Thomas, 1952) over a number of years has made it abundantly clear that the method is widely applicable, involves the loss of no appreciable pulmonary tissue or function, and is eminently safe and free of risk of contamination of the pleural space. The technique is ideal for enucleation of all uncomplicated pulmonary hydatid cysts, even of the largest size, and after obliteration of the remaining cavity the inflated lobe looks normal. The method was therefore used wherever applicable in the present series, comprising patients treated between 1961 and 1968. The results have been compared with those of a group of patients treated in the same unit between 1952 and 1960. It is recommended that lobectomy be reserved for complicated cysts where infection has produced a chronic lung abscess or bronchiectasis, and rarely for the very largest uncomplicated cysts. All simple cysts should be enucleated by the Barrett technique.