Spontaneous pneumothorax.

Most cases of spontaneous pneumothorax can be handled either expectantly or by tube thoracostomy with good results. When surgical intervention is required, good results from treatment can be expected with minimal morbidity, a very low recurrence rate, and a mortality rate near zero. The traditional surgical approach has been a transaxillary thoracotomy with bleb resection and apical mechanical pleurodesis. A similar procedure, however, can be performed by VATS and may ultimately replace thoracotomy as the technique of choice.