History of Collapsed Lung Surgery: First Procedure & Early Treatments

The first successful pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, operation was performed in 1882 by Italian physician Carlo Forlanini. The operation was performed to treat a case of tuberculosis and involved inserting a needle between the ribs and into the pleural space, the area between the lungs and chest wall. This allowed air to enter the pleural space and collapse the lung, which helped to reduce the inflammation and scarring caused by tuberculosis.