Talc Pleurodesis via Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery(VATS) in Malignant Pleural Effusions.

Park, Sang Joon; Ahn, Seok Jin; Kang, Kyeong Woo; Koh, Young Min; Suh, Gee Young; Chung, Man Pyo; Kim, Ho Joong; Kwon, O Jung; Kim, Kwhan Mien; Kim, Jhin Gook; Shim, Young Mog; Rhee, Chong H

doi:1998.45.4.785

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 45(4); 1998 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1998;45(4):785-794.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1998.45.4.785 Published online August 1, 1998.

Talc Pleurodesis via Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery(VATS) in Malignant Pleural Effusions.

Sang Joon Park, Seok Jin Ahn, Kyeong Woo Kang, Young Min Koh, Gee Young Suh, Man Pyo Chung, Ho Joong Kim, O Jung Kwon, Kwhan Mien Kim, Jhin Gook Kim, Young Mog Shim, Chong H Rhee

Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, College of Medicine, Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Chemical pleurodesis is a widely used method for the control of symptomatic and recurrent malignant pleural effusions. Tab has been accepted to k the most effective sclerosing agent for chemical pleurodesis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of talc pleurodesis via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) in treatment of malignant pleural effusion& METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical records and radiographic findings was performed. The success of the procedure was defined as daily pleural fluid drainage below l00microliter within 1 week after pleurodesis and complete expansion of tie lung on simple chest radiograph. Recurrence was defined as reaccumulation of pleural fluid on follow-up chest radiographs, arid complete response as no fluid accumulation on follow-up chest radiographs. RESULTS: Between October 1994 and August 1996, talc pleurodesis via VATS was performed in 35 patient& Duration of follow-up ranged from 5 days to 828 days(median 79days). The initial success rate of procedure was 8S.6%(31 of 35 cases). Complete responses were observed in 92.8% at3O days, 75.7% at 90 days and 64.9% at 180 days. Postoperative complications were fever(54.3%), subcutaneous emphysema(11.4%), reexpansion pulmonary edema(2.9o%) and respiratory failure(5.7%). But procedure related mortality or respiratory failure was not found. CONCLUISON: Talc p1eurodesis via VATS is a safe and effective method F or the control of symptomatic malignant pleural effusions.

Key Words: Malignant pleural effusion, Talc, Pleurodesis, Video-assisted tboracoscopic snrgery(VATS)