Criteria for surgical referral if spontaneous pneumothorax

surgical referral of patients with pneumothorax

Accepted indications for surgical referral are as follows:

• second ipsilateral pneumothorax
  
  
• first contralateral pneumothorax
  
  
• synchronous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax
  
  
• persistent air leak (despite 5-7 days of chest tube drainage) or failure of lung re-expansion
  
  
• spontaneous haemothorax
  
  
• professions at risk (eg, pilots, divers)
  
  
• pregnancy (1)

Reference:

• (1) MacDuff A et al. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: British Thoracic Society Pleural Disease Guideline 2010. Thorax. 2010;65 Suppl 2:ii18-31