Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2006;14:363-366
© 2006 Asia Publishing EXchange Ltd
Role and Outcome of Surgery for Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Aysun Olcmen, MD,
Mehmet Z Gunluoglu, MD,
Adalet Demir, MD,
Hasan Akin, MD,
Hasan V Kara, MD,
Seyyit I Dincer, MD
2nd Thoracic Surgery Clinic, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yedikule Teaching Hospital for Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey
For reprint information contact: Adalet Demir, MD Tel: 90 212 664 1700 Fax: 90 212 547 2233 Email: dradalet{at}hotmail.com, Yuzyil mah. Kisla Cad. Yesil zengibar sitesi, A-3 Blok, D-9 Bagcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
The need and outcome of surgical intervention in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were assessed retrospectively. Between 1993 and 2003, 72 major surgical procedures were performed in 57 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. There were 44 males and 13 females with a mean age of 34 years. Indications for surgery were: trapped lung in 18 (31.6%), multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in 10 (17.5%), aspergilloma in 10 (17.5%), destroyed lung in 5 (8.8%), massive hemoptysis in 4 (7%), bronchopleural fistula in 3 (5.3%), persistent cavity in 2 (3.5%), and undiagnosed nodule in 5 (8.8%) patients. The most common procedure was lobectomy (31.9%). Other procedures included decortication, wedge resection, pneumonectomy, segmentectomy, and myoplasty. There were 28 complications in 18 patients, including prolonged air leak in 12 (21.1%), residual space in 7 (12.3%), empyema in 5 (8.8%), hematoma in 2 (3.5%), chylothorax and bronchopleural fistula in 1 (1.8%) each. There was no operative death, but one patient died from sepsis late in the follow-up period (mortality, 1.8%). As morbidity and mortality rates are acceptable, surgical intervention can be considered safe and effective in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Copyright © 2006 by the Asia Publishing EXchange Ltd.
