Abstract
Introduction: In the past, surgical treatment was an important part of tuberculosis (TB) management. Today, with good control and treatment of the disease, surgery is only sporadically used in TB patients in low prevalence countries.
Methods: A retrospective study of TB patients operated on in 4 thoracic surgery centers in the Czech Republic in 2016. Analysis of the diagnoses, types of surgery and outcomes.
Results: A total of 6 patients with TB were noted, 5 males and 1 female, aged 23-76 years; two patients were operated on twice. There were 5 cases of pulmonary TB (2 lobectomies, 2 wedge resections and 1 exploratory surgery for esophageal cancer).
One patient had an isolated abdominal form mimicking an acute abdomen (appendectomy complicated by fistula, with subsequent ileocecal resection). In only one patient, TB was diagnosed prior to surgery, and even that was his second surgery (lung resection for cancer, following mediastinoscopy).
All patient were referred to pulmonology care as soon as possible (Days 4-14). Conclusion: More prevalent are surgery for inactive TB or incidental findings.
Surgery aids in the diagnosis and still plays a role in the treatment of the disease. Resection is potentially curative and shortens the time of antituberculosis drug administration.
The main problém continues to be epidemiology (isolation of patients and protection of health personnel).