One hundred fifty patients with elective thoracotomy due to intrapulmonary pathology are included in this study from January 1995 to December 1996. The aim of this study is to detect the incidence of complications and treat them by early intervention within first 30 days of postoperative period. All patients were examined on the first and fourth week of discharge to determine the outcome and complications.
Twenty four of 150 patients (16%) had 40 complications, but only 6 patients were reoperated (4%) two of these for bronchopleural fıstula and four for bleeding. Median sternotomy and rethoracotomy was done in one and five of these patients, respectively (2%).
Only 3 patients died in the first 30 postoperative days.