AIM To retrospectively compare the outcomes of catheter drainage, urokinase and ozone in management of empyema. METHODS Retrospective study included 209 patients (111 males and 98 females; age range 19 to 72 years) who were diagnosed with empyema. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the therapy instituted: catheter drainage only (group I); catheter drainage and urokinase (group I...

OBJECTIVE The present work aimed to retrospectively assess the outcomes associated with decortication by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in patients with tuberculous empyema. METHODS Patients (n = 274) who underwent decortication by VATS for surgical management of pleural empyema between January 2000 to 2010 were included. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative characteristics were observed f...

119 adduction, and internal rotation of the shoulder joint, it does not function independently. Since it moves in synchrony with a number of synergistic shoulder girdle muscles, the LD muscle can be sacrificed safely without affecting shoulder or arm action [5]. A major surgical advantage of using the LD muscle flap in the field of thoracic surgery is the fact that, because it is an extrathorac...

General anesthesia is the main strategy for almost all thoracic surgeries. However, a growing body of literature has reported successful cases of non-intubated thoracic surgery with regional anesthesia. This alternative strategy not only prevents complications related to general anesthesia, such as lung injury, incomplete re-expansion and intubation related problems, but also accords with trend...

INTRODUCTION Pleural empyema is the most serious, life-threatening postoperative complication of pneumonectomy, observed after 1-12% of all pneumonectomies, with bronchopleural fistula being its main cause. AIM The aim of this publication is to present early outcomes of minimally invasive surgical management of pleural empyema. Patients were subjected to a single, complex procedure, consistin...

The optimal management of paediatric empyema thoracis remains controversial. The objective of the study was to analyse evolving experience in clinical presentation, management, outcome and factors contributing to adverse morbidity in thoracic empyema. Forty-seven patients presenting to a paediatric surgical centre were studied in three consecutive 6-y periods during 1980-97 to compare any chang...

BACKGROUND Patients are often referred to thoracic units for management of empyema after the acute phase has been treated with antibiotics but without adequate drainage. This study evaluates the effects of delay in surgical treatment of empyema thoracis on morbidity and mortality. METHODS Thirty nine consecutive patients were studied from January 1991 to June 1992. Two groups (group 1, 16 pat...