Primary spontaneous pneumothorax, or the condition where a lung drops due to a release of air, is a serious condition and needs to be dealt with as an emergency in the closest A&E. If this occurs more than once on a particular side then we can offer a surgical procedure using an endoscopic (key hole) approach to stick the lung to the chest wall to prevent further collapse. This procedure is called a pleurectomy and is occasionally combined with a bullectomy (excision of an area of weakness in the lung called a bulla).
These procedures are recommended by the British Thoracic Society for patients with more than one episode of a dropped lung (primary pneumothorax) but in some cases we can offer this to patients with just one episode if they have certain risk factors that places them at a higher risk of a recurrence.
If you would like to discuss this please get in contact and we will be happy to guide you through the decision making.
Please do read a paper we published on the topic and our early results.
