[Thoracic surgery in children].

In order to study non-cardiac thoracic surgery in children we reviewed the files of all children under 16 years, who had surgery at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital from 1987 to 1996. Thirty-three children had chest tube insertion because of neonatal pneumothorax. Twelve of these died within five days after birth. Fifty-five children had surgery for primary intrathoracic diseases. Congenital pulmonary malformations were most common in the youngest children. Traumatic diseases were most common in the oldest. No immediate postoperative deaths occurred, but seven children were dead at the follow-up. Thirty-eight had surgery for involvement of the thoracic organs secondary to other often malignant diseases. Eleven of these were dead at the follow-up. It is concluded, that thoracic surgery is required for a number of diseases in children and is well tolerated. However, severe primary diseases lead to an increased mortality.