NCT07338019

The Buzdar Technique

Recruiting now NA Last updated 13 January 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Gradual chest tube removal in Chest Tube Management in 300 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

1 July 2025

Primary endpoint
30 June 2027

30 September 2027

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Health Sciences Lahore
Phase	NA
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	single group
Masking	none
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	300
Start date	1 July 2025
Primary completion	30 June 2027
Estimated completion	30 September 2027
Sites	1 location across Pakistan

Drugs / interventions tested

• Gradual chest tube removal

Conditions studied

• Chest Tube Management — all drugs for Chest Tube Management →
• Chest Tube Withdrawal — all drugs for Chest Tube Withdrawal →
• Iatrogenic Injury — all drugs for Iatrogenic Injury →

Sponsor

University of Health Sciences Lahore

Who can join

18 and older, any sex, with Chest Tube Management or Chest Tube Withdrawal. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Chest tube thoracostomy remains a lifesaving intervention in trauma and thoracic surgery, used for the management of pneumothorax, hemothorax, empyema, and pleural effusions. Despite being one of the most frequently performed procedures worldwide, complication rates remain high, ranging from 20% to 40% \[1\]. Among these, pulmonary parenchymal chest tube (PPcT) insertion represents a rare but potentially devastating event, leading to hemorrhage, air leak, bronchopleural fistula, or infection. In Pakistan, where chest trauma and pneumothorax constitute major thoracic morbidities, PPcT cases are encountered with increasing frequency but remain underreported. Current literature describes only invasive surgical approaches-such as thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)-for PPcT removal \[9,10\], with no established minimally invasive alternatives.

In response to this clinical challenge, the Department of Thoracic Surgery at (Hospital Name), Punjab, Pakistan, has developed and implemented a novel, minimally invasive three-stage removal technique, termed the Buzdar Technique, designed to ensure safe extraction of intraparenchymal chest tubes without surgical intervention. The technique follows a standardized protocol involving:

Healing phase: Tube left in situ for approximately two weeks to allow localized fibrosis and stabilization of the lung parenchyma.

Initial retraction: Gradual 2-cm withdrawal with optional 360° rotation under radiologic and clinical supervision, followed by 24-hour observation and chest imaging.

Sequential retractions: Weekly staged retractions of 2 cm until the last fenestration exits the pleural cavity, enabling safe final removal.

This prospective cohort study, conducted from July 2025 to June 2026, aims to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and clinical outcomes of the Buzdar Technique in managing iatrogenic PPcT. Data will include patient demographics, procedural details, complications, radiologic recovery, and overall outcomes. Success will be defined as complete tube removal without pneumothorax, air leak, bleeding, or need for surgical intervention.

Preliminary institutional experience over the past decade has shown excellent results, with minimal morbidity, no requirement for thoracotomy or VATS, and full radiologic recovery in the majority of patients. The expected outcomes of this prospective evaluation are to validate these findings, establish the Buzdar Technique as a reproducible, evidence-based approach, and contribute to the global literature on non-surgical management of PPcT.

If proven effective, this technique could represent a paradigm shift in the management of intraparenchymal chest tubes-offering a safe, staged, and minimally invasive alternative to surgical removal, particularly beneficial for centers in low- and middle-income countries where advanced surgical options may not always be available.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.