How VATS has changed the management of spontaneous pneumothorax in the 21st century.

OBJECTIVE To: determine the outcome of patients having undergone Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) for spontaneous pneumothrox in terms of hospital stay, complications and recurrence. METHODS The netrospective study included the review of 39 cases who had presented with spontaneous pneumothorax at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, between January 2001 to November 2008 and had undergone video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). RESULTS The duration of hospital stay (had a range of 3 to 9 days), and the length of chest tube in place (a range of 2 to 8 days), 2 (5.1%) patients developed recurrence after VATS while 3 (7.6%) patients developed bleeding post operatively requiring transfusion and 2 (5.1%) patients developed atelectasis requiring bronchoscopy. CONCLUSION Compared with figures for thoracotomy data from other studies, it was seen that the length of hospital stay and chest tube placement with VATS was less than that for thoracotomy, and the overall cost as well as post-operative pain was also low. The rate of recurrence was however comparable to that after thoracotomy.