Progressive versus conservative chest tube management following surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Quirine van Steenwijk, Marcel GW Dijkgraaf, Wolter Oosterhuis, Denis Susa, Matthijs DM Bolmers, Robert TJ Kortekaas, Chris Dickhoff, Jerry Braun, Frank JC van den Broek  |  March 26, 2026

This multicenter retrospective study compared progressive versus conservative chest tube management after surgical pleurodesis for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Early chest tube removal shortly after cessation of air leak significantly reduced chest tube duration, length of stay, and complications without increasing recurrence rates. Progressive protocols using lower pressure levels and rapid removal supported enhanced recovery, suggesting that timely, objective chest drain management can safely accelerate postoperative recovery in pneumothorax patients.

Link to publication


All Papers »