A large category of chest surgery is that of pneumothorax. In pneumothorax, air passes between the lung and the chest wall for some reason. The lung is compressed by air, which normally should not be there, and cannot expel carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen. The patient perceives all this as shortness of breath.

→ The most common treatment of pneumothorax is drainage, i.e. removing air from where it shouldn't be, with the help of a tube. When this remains or re-creates then the solution is surgery.

→ Surgery for pneumothorax is usually indicated in two situations, the first is acute when the air leak is persistent (more than 5 days) or the lung fails to re-expand despite drainage. The second is about recovering from a pneumothorax episode and preventing it from happening again.

→ After the first pneumothorax, the risk of the lung collapsing again ranges from 28 to 54%. Surgery to prevent recurrences can be done by scraping the inside of the chest wall pleural scraping, removing the lining of the chest wall or putting powder in the chest cavity, pleurodesis talc. All three are designed to cause scar tissue that causes the lung to stick to the chest wall.

→ The pneumothorax surgery is now being performed with minimally invasive thoracoscopic (VATS) and robotic (RATS) methods as the open surgical method is no longer preferred. The superiority of minimally invasive thoracic surgery over the traditional method and the benefits it offers are obvious and self-evident.

→ Hospitalization in minimally invasive methods ranges from 3 to 4 days and recovery is rapid.

⊗ Pneumothorax surgery is considered a relatively simple and safe procedure. However, as with any surgery or procedure, there are some potential risks involved. Age combined with current medical conditions and a variety of factors can more accurately determine your risk for complications. Before surgery, we always make sure to thoroughly discuss with patients the specific risks, as well as the procedure to be followed.

For more information and clarifications or to schedule an appointment, you can contact Dr. Michalis Klimatsidas by calling (+030) 6944562928 or by filling out the relevant form.