[Evaluation of the effect of radical parietal pleurectomy on ventilatory function of the lungs in patients treated for recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax].

Pleurectomy as a method for treatment of recurrent pneumothorax and its influence on pulmonary ventilation are analyzed. Fifty-one patients were hospitalised twice at the Thoracic Surgery Department in Szczecin. The pneumothorax was treated by a chest tube drainage at the first time, and by pleurectomy in case of recurrent incident. Each time--with both lungs expanded--VC (vital capacity), MVV (maximal voluntary ventilation) and FEV1 (forced expiratory volume) were measured, thus it was possible to compare pre- and postoperative spirometric results. There was no statistically significant deficiency of ventilation after pleurectomy. The risk of different therapeutical methods and effectiveness in the protection against recurrence of pneumothorax were discussed. The results of own observations are compared with other authors' ones.