Abstract

RODRIGUEZ, Macarena et al. Surgery for pulmonary tuberculosis. Review of 33 operated patients. Rev. méd. Chile [online]. 2009, vol.137, n.2, pp.234-239. ISSN 0034-9887.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0034-98872009000200007.

Background: Surgical treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis is mainly ¡imited to the management of sequelae such as bronchiectasis, hemoptysis and brochopleural fistulae. Aim: To review the data of patients who underwent surgical treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. Material and methods: Retrospective review of 33 patients aged 18 to 73 years (24 males) who underwent lung resection surgery for the management of pulmonary tuberculosis. Follow-up data were obtained from outpatient visit records and registries of the national tuberculosis program. Results: The reasons to perform surgery were the following: fifteen for hemoptysis, nine for lung destruction and nine for an active and multiresistant disease. No patient died in the postoperative period. The morbidity observed included empyema (n =5), pneumothorax (n =2), bronchopleural fístula (n =2) and hemothorax (n =2). At six months offollow up, six of the nine patients with active tuberculosis had negative acid-fast bacilli on sputum smear. Two of these patients died, one due to respiratory failure and another by an unrelated cause. Both dead patients had negative acid-fast bacilli on sputum smear. Conclusions: Surgery in pulmonary tuberculosis has a high rate of complications butmay be usefulin selectedpatients.

Keywords : Hemoptysis; Thoracic surgery; Tuberculosis, pulmonary.

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