A STUDY OF VIDEO ASSISTED THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY (VATS) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF EMPYEMA THORACIS

Abstract

Empyema thoracis dened as pus in the pleural cavity is often associated with poor lung compliance and function, prolonged recovery time. Video assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery in the mangement of Empyema Thoracis has now begun to be widely used as a rst line treatment bypassing a trial with percutaneous drainage or with an intercostal drainage tube. Patients treated with VATS also had a comparatively lesser hospital stay. Patients treated with VATS had potentially lesser surgical site infections and improved tolerance for exercise, lesser paraesthesia and required lesser analgesia. Also VATS worked best in stages 1 and 2 of empyema with a signicantly decreased conversion rate to open surgery, reduced operative time, lesser blood loss, fewer days of intercostal drainage, fewer days of post operative air leak, lesser rate of surgical site infection and lesser hospital stay than stages 3 and 4. Thus it is safe and effective to use Video assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery in Empyema Thoracis as a denitive rst line treatment method.