[Contributions of thoracic surgery in the Research Institute for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis since its founding and under the presence conditions in the treatment of specific and nonspecific lung diseases (author's transl)].

Thoracic surgery is done in the Research Institute for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis for about 25 years. 2463 lung resections on account of tuberculosis, 934 lung resections on account of intrathoracic tumors, among them 795 suffering from bronchial carcinoma, 422 operations because of nonspecific pulmonary diseases (bronchiectasis, lung abscess a.s.o.) and nearly the same number of operations because of spontaneous pneumothorax were performed in this time. Cystic lung disease, bullous emphysema, pulmonary mycosis and diseases of diaphragm and oesophagus were rarer indications for surgery. Since 1970 an increasing number of thoracic injuries by accidents were treated (70 patients). At the beginning collapse therapy (1953/54) was still in use (305 operations). In all the number of great thoracic operations 1978 was 5417. Besides, experimental investigations dealing with lung transplantation were done in dogs. These results are published in several papers. The technical experience gained by this research work could be utilized for clinical practice.