Outcomes of the Tower Crane Technique with a 15-mm Trocar in Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax.

Abstract

BackgroundVideo-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) pulmonary wedge resection has emerged as the standard treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Recently, single-port VATS has been introduced and is now widely performed. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of the Tower crane technique as novel technique using a 15-mm trocar and anchoring suture in primary spontaneous pneumothorax.MethodsPatients who underwent single-port VATS wedge resection in Chungnam National University Hospital from April 2012 to March 2014 were enrolled. The medical records of the enrolled patients were reviewed retrospectively.ResultsA total of 1,251 patients were diagnosed with pneumothorax during this period, 270 of whom underwent VATS wedge resection. Fifty-two of those operations were single-port VATS wedge resections for primary spontaneous pneumothorax performed by a single surgeon. The median age of the patients was 19.3±11.5 years old, and 43 of the patients were male. The median duration of chest tube drainage following the operation was 2.3±1.3 days, and mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.2±1.3 days. Prolonged air leakage for more than three days following the operation was observed in one patient. The mean duration of follow-up was 18.7±6.1 months, with a recurrence rate of 3.8%.ConclusionThe tower crane technique with a 15-mm trocar may be a promising treatment modality for patients presenting with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.