The surgery for pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

The history of surgery for tuberculosis from 1885 to 1950 reflects the history of thoracic surgery during that period. A steady stream of patients with apparently hopelessly advanced disease presented an enormous challenge to surgeons of that period. Much of what we have learned concerning the special problems of thoracic anatomy, technique, and anesthesia, as well as preoperative and postoperative care, came from this group of patients. However, the most enduring contribution of this period was a better understanding of respiratory physiology. Indeed, many pioneers in clinical lung physiology, both here and abroad, initially were stimulated by the problems of tuberculosis surgery, and some of our own observations will be emphasized here.