Author
- Kalyan Ashis Mukherjee
- Debayan Chowdhury
- Priyanka Pant
Abstract
Background :
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive surgery performed for the treatment as well as the diagnosis of different chest problems, including pleural effusion. Early diagnosis and management using VATS in stage Il and early stage III pleural effusions improves the outcome, with delay being the most common factor for conversion to open.
Materials and Methods :
This is a descriptive case series in which 34 patients under went video-assisted thoracoscopy for multiloculated pleural effusion, not responding to conservative management, strictly adhering to the inclusion and exclusion criteria at a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Results :
64.7% patients had Stage II pleural effusion while 35.3% patients had Stage III pleural effusion. Patients in Stage II had a shorter surgery time, shorter hospital stay, a shorter ICU stay and ICD duration as compared to those who were operated in Stage III.
Conclusion :
Performing VATS in the early stages of pleural effusion is beneficial and can be done satisfactorily inoculated effusions with good effusion is beneficial and can be done satisfactorily inoculated effusions with good results.
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