Tuberculosis a disease that created and shaped thoracic surgery

Today it is incredible to think that an infectious disease, Tuberculosis (TB) as the disease that shaped Thoracic Surgery. The history of TB has so far evolved similarities with that of the mythological Phoenix, where the resurgence of this never completely eradicated “Insidious Disease” has now re-emerged and brought new challenges to modern medicine that of multi drug resistance. The probability of success, in treating complicated multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB pushing us back to the pre-antibiotic era, now depends on several factors: (I) optimal antibiotic management; (II) patient compliance; (III) multi-disciplinary teamwork; (IV) experience in carrying out “not-routine” surgical procedures; and finally (V) ability to offer long term patient hospitalization, frequently months, without bureaucratic and economical problems. The probability of good patient outcome is higher when all of these criteria are satisfied.