Risk factors for the recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in patients younger than 40 years

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a standard primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) procedure. However, its high recurrence rate compared to open thoracotomy is a problem. Therefore, various methods to prevent recurrence have been developed. The present study investigated the risk factors for postoperative recurrence of PSP after VATS. METHODS: From January 2008 to November 2022, 207 patients younger than 40 years of age without underlying pulmonary disease underwent thoracoscopic bullectomy for PSP. Among them, 96 underwent staple line reinforcement with a polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet and autologous blood spraying. Patient characteristics and surgical outcomes were analyzed to determine the prognostic factors for postoperative recurrence. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (13.0%) experienced recurrences. A multivariate analysis using Cox regression analysis revealed that age younger than 20 years [P=0.039; hazard ratio (HR) =2.337; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.283–17.287], history of contralateral pneumothorax (P<0.001; HR =7.533; 95% CI, 1.486–12.336), and no staple line reinforcement (P=0.007; HR =4.282; 95% CI, 1.043–5.236) were risk factors for recurrence after pneumothorax surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Age younger than 20 years and history of contralateral pneumothorax were risk factors for postoperative recurrence of pneumothorax. Staple line reinforcement with a PGA sheet and spraying of autologous blood reduced the postoperative recurrence rate of PSP.