Influence of the Distraction Cavity Size on the Choice of the Compression Technique in Thoracoplasty in Patients with Advanced Fibrous-Cavernous Tuberculosis

Introduction. Extrapleural upper-posterior thoracoplasty is the most common non-resectable surgery in the treatment of patients with advanced fibrous-cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis. However, there is still no unified approach in choosing the thoracoplasty and compression options of the destruction cavity.
The aim of the study was to assess clinical outcomes of various compression methods in extrapleural upper-posterior thoracoplasty considering the destruction cavity size.
Materials and methods. The study included 233 cases of upper posterior thoracoplasty performed in 2012-2019. All cases were fibrous-cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis when the process extended beyond one lobe and was widespread. Group 1 (n=70) involved patients with hybrid thoracoplasty with polypropylene mesh; group 2 (n=60) involved patients with modified osteoplastic thoracoplasty; group 3 (n=103) involved patients with conventional selective extrapleural upper-posterior thoracoplasty. When analysed, attention was paid to elimination of the decay cavity and bacterial excretion.
Results. The publications analysed demonstrate that the main criteria for choosing a plastic surgery option are traditions of the clinic and personal preferences of a surgeon. The study evidenced the best performance of hybrid compression over conventional and modified thoracoplasty (p<0,05). Obviously, the choice of thoracoplasty option and the number of resected ribs should be based on the data including the total size of the destruction cavity and the compression technique.
Conclusion. The proposed distribution of upper-posterior thoracoplasty depending on the compression technique allows individually selecting the most effective treatment options for patients with widespread fibrous-cavernous tuberculosis with destruction cavities up to 6 cm localized in the upper lung.