THE ROLE OF TORACOPLASTY IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH DESTRUCTIVE TUBERCULOSIS IN THE PERIOD OF EPIDEMIC

The efficacy of thoracoplasty was studied in 27 patients aged 21 to 61 years. The clinical structure of the patients was dominated by fibrocavernous tuberculosis — in 16 patients, infiltrative tuberculosis — in 11. Fourteen patients underwent the 6-th rib thoracoplasty, 8 patients — the 7-th rib one, 2 — the 5-th rib, 1 — the 8-th rib and 2 patients — the 4-th rib. The study results of thoracoplasty lead to the conclusion that in unfavorable outcomes of conservative antituberculous treatment the use of thoracoplasty increases the efficacy of treating patients with destructive tuberculosis.