Pleural abrasion: a new method of pleurodesis?

Sixty patients (48 male, 12 female; median age 32 (range 16-72) years) underwent pleural abrasion for persistent or recurrent pneumothorax. Fifty patients had recurrent pneumothorax and 10 persistence of a first pneumothorax despite conservative treatment; two had bilateral pneumothoraces. Pleural abrasion was carried out with a domestic nylon scouring pad and blebs or bullae were ligated or stapled and excised. Intercostal drainage was discontinued after a median time of two days, median serosanguinous loss was 250 ml, and the median postoperative stay in hospital was four days. During the median follow up period of 32 (range 19-52) months pneumothorax has recurred in one patient.