To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the Thopaz digital chest drainage system in managing persistent air leak following pulmonary tuberculosis surgery, in order to provide evidence to support clinical decision-making.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 68 patients who developed persistent air leak following pulmonary tuberculosis surgery between January 2023 and December 2025. Patients were divided into an observation group (n=34) and a control group (n=34) according to the drainage method used. The two groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, lesion scope, surgical approach, and preoperative pulmonary function (P＞0.05). The observation group was managed with the Thopaz digital chest drainage system, while the control group received conventional closed chest drainage. The duration of air leak, chest tube indwelling time, length of hospital stay, treatment effective rate, postoperative complications, VAS pain score, drainage volume, and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups.

The duration of air leak, chest tube indwelling time, and hospital stay in the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P＜0.05). The effective rate in the observation group was 94.12%, which was significantly higher than the 73.53% observed in the control group (P＜0.05). The incidences of pulmonary infection, subcutaneous emphysema, and mediastinal emphysema in the observation group were 5.88%, 8.82%, and 2.94%, respectively, all lower than those in the control group (P＜0.05). At 3 days after treatment, the VAS score in the observation group was significantly lower, as was the drainage volume at both 3 and 7 days (P＜0.05). Patient satisfaction n the observation group was 97.06%, higher than the 79.41% in the control group (P＜0.05).

The Thopaz digital chest drainage system is safe and effective in managing persistent air leak after pulmonary tuberculosis surgery. It significantly shortens air leak duration, chest tube indwelling time, and hospital stay, improves treatment success rate, reduces complications, and enhances patient experience. Therefore, it is worthy of clinical promotion.