Resumen

LOMBARDO VAILLANT, Tomás Ariel  y  GALVAN PEREZ, Andrés. CO₂ laser pleurodesis in relapsing spontaneous pneumothorax. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 1996, vol.25, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3046.

A new surgical technique was applied in the treatment of relapsing pneumothorax; it is based on the soft tissues CO₂ laser coagulation properties over the parietal pleura, to obtain interpleural synechias. The CO₂ laser pleurodesis was studied in 8 dogs, in which thoracotomy was carried out; the dogs were sacrificed in a period of 7 to 30 days. A histological study was carried out in the pleuropulmonary synechias areas, and deposits of collagen and elastic fibers were identified. The clinical experience in 35 patients with relapsing spontaneous pneumothorax diagnosis, was carried out between september 1985 and november 1989; there was no operative mortality, the pleural drainage was of an average of 400 mL of sero-hematic liquid, and sepsis of the surgical wound occurred in 2,6 % of the patients. The main postoperative follow-up was of 7 years course (48 to 120 months), and there were no relapses. It is concluded that CO₂ laser photocoagulation over the parietal pleura, is a safe and effective pleurodesis procedure.

Palabras clave : PNEUMOTHORAX [surgery]; PLEURODESIS [methods].