Características clínicas y desenlaces postquirúrgicos en pacientes con neumotórax espontáneo: análisis en un hospital de alta complejidad

Introduction. Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare pathology that affects both young and old people. It can have a high recurrence rate, resulting in morbidity and sometimes mortality of the patients. In our environment we do not have epidemiological data on the disease, which motivated this study to be carried out. Methods. Retrospective study of a prospective database, which included patients over 14 years of age, with a diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax who underwent surgery at the Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Medellin, Colombia, between January 2018 and December 2023. Sociodemographic, clinical variables and postoperative outcomes 30 days after the intervention were analyzed. Results. Males were the most affected (68.2%), secondary spontaneous pneumothorax predominated (56.8%) and the right hemithorax was the most common location (63.6%). A similar incidence was found between smokers and non-smokers (45.4% vs. 52.3%, respectively). Wedge resection was the definitive treatment in 50% of patients and wedge resection associated with mechanical pleurodesis in 31.8%. The most common complication was persistent air leak. A recurrence of pneumothorax was recorded in a patient who had undergone wedge resection. At the end of the study, five patients died: three had been treated only with thoracostomy and two had been taken to surgery. Conclusions. Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare pathology. The causes and the affected population vary according to the classification. In our environment, tuberculosis has greater relevance because it is an endemic disease.