• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.26 no.11
• /
• pp.845-850
• /
• 1993

Post-Pneumonectomy Empyema[PPE] is a relatively uncommon but serious complication. And the management of it remains a disturbing and controversial area in the field of general thoracic surgery. Many methods have described and have had varying degrees of success. For the purpose of providing the guideline for management of post-pneumonectomy empyema, we reviewed our experiences of treatment of PPE from January 1985. to December 1992. There were 17 cases, which consist 7.9% of all pneumonectomy cases for that period. There were 13 male and 4 female patients with mean age of 47.1$\pm$ 16.2 yrs old. Both chest has the same incidence. The most common disease for prior pneumonectomy was tuberculosis, but the PPE was the most frequently occurred in empyema. The duration between pneumonectomy and PPE was 44.7 $\pm$81.1 months, where 58.8% of patients occurred within 1 month. Fever was the most frequent complaint and wound dischrge was detected in less than half of patients. There were 2 in-hospital mortalities.Mostly, in 13 cases, we did Eloesser operation. Five of them could finish second Clagett procedure, but one had recurrence. Four bronchopleural fistular patients underwent 3 single stage muscle flap closure and 1 direct closure with modified Clagett procedure. None had recurrence. Mean follow-up duration is 30.9\ulcorner22.3 months. There was 1 late death which was not related to PPE but to Malignancy recurrence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.555-559
• /
• 1991

Post-pneumonectomy empyema thoracis is an uncommon, but very serious problem. Early diagnosis & adequate drainage followed by thoracoplasty and or myoplasty are very important principles for the management of the empyema thoracis & will enable patient to recover from the toxic effects. During the period of January, 1985 to December, 1990, 13 patients with post-pneumonectomy empyema thoracis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine. There were 10 males % 3 females ranging from 31 years to 79 years of age. The occurrence ratio of left to right side was 8: 5. The underlying pathologic lesions of empyema thoracis were pulmonary tuberculosis[7], lung ca. [2] pneumothorax[2], lung abscess[1] pneumonia[1]. We treatment procedure for post-pneumonectomy empyema thoracis were open window thoracostomy in 10 cases, Clagett procedures in 2 cases, one thoracoplasty, and two cases of Clagett procedures followed by open window thoracostomy in one cases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.123-125
• /
• 2017

Malignant tumors associated with chronic empyema have been reported in the literature, and a majority of these tumors are lymphomas. Epithelial tumors originating from the post-pneumonectomy space in patients with chronic empyema are extremely rare. Here, we present the cases of 2 patients with squamous cell carcinoma arising from the pleural cavity after pneumonectomy for chronic empyema.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.368-374
• /
• 1983

Combined type of primary lung cancer is a very rare form in clinical experience, which is 3 histologically different variants of bronchogenic carcinoma. These type had a well differentiated squamous carcinoma forming keratin pearls, well differentiated adenocarcinoma and pleomorphic undifferentiated cell carcinoma, usually small cell carcinoma. The patient, a male, 49-Y-0, was complaint coughing, mild dyspnea, blood tinged sputum and chest pain. Under diagnosis of lung cancer preoperatively, the right total pneumonectomy was performed with very difficulty such as arrhythmia, ventilation impairment during post operation course. The histology of specimen was disclose as 3 different histological type, combined lung cancer as squamoadenoundifferentiated carcinoma. The mediastinal nodes were freed from metastasis but the parietal pleural metastatic loci was found. The radio & chemotherapy were performed post-operatively. The patient had been experienced empyema at post-pneumonectomy space and then open drainage procedure and thoracoplasty had been added for treatment course. The patient is alive recently.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.276-280
• /
• 1999

Background: Post-pneumonectomy empyema(PPE) is an uncommon but a serious complication. The management remains as challenge for general thoracic surgeons. Material and Method: During the period of January 1990 to December 1996, we evaluated the results of 20 patients with post-pneumonectomy empyema. Result: Sex ratio were 15 male and 5 female patients with mean age of 41.5${\pm}$21.5 yrs. The occurrence ratio of left to right side was 8:12. The most common disease for prior pneumonectomy was pulmonary tuberculosis. The duration between pneumonectomy and PPE was variable in 1 month to 6yrs. Fever was the most frequent symptom and S. aureus was the most frequent pathogen. In 13 cases, there were combined with BPF. Four patients underwent trans-sternal closure, and Clagett procedure was performed. There was one recurrence that later underwent muscle plombage and omentopexy later. Nine patients underwent omentopexy, muscle plombage and thoracoplasty. There were 7 cases that were not combined with BPF. All 7 patients underwent thoracoplasty, and two of them were combined with muscle plombage. Mean follow-up duration is 40${\pm}$32.3 months. There were no late deaths nor recurrences of PPE. Conclusion: We conclude that early diagnosis and proper drainage in PPE patients are important in its initial stage of management, and also management is completely achieved in thoracoplasty with muscle plombage or omentopexy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.12
• /
• pp.1047-1051
• /
• 1994

Airway obstruction may be caused by extreme mediastinal shift and rotation after right pneumonecotmy or after left pneumonecotomy in the presence of right aortic arch.We experienced such a complication after right pneumonectomy, so called right postpneumonectomy syndrome. The patient was 28 years old female, and 4 month ago she had undergone right pneumonecotomy via video assisted thoracoscopic surgery[VATS] for endobronchial tuberculus dissemination and secondary pulmonary infection. She was treated by mediastinal repositioning which were composed of substernal fixation of pericardium and insertion of expandable prosthesis of 1000 cc capacity. She had good postoperative course and now she feels no obstructive symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.784-787
• /
• 1995

A 3-year old female who underwent modified Fontan operation for the double outlet right ventricle with hypoplastic left ventricle at the age of 15 month was admitted with hemoptysis, which was developed 4 days prior to visit. Cardiac catheterization revealed that multiple collaterals from descending thoracic aorta supplied the right lung and drained to the right pulmonary artery. Chest magnetic resonance imaging [MRI showed that the right lung was consolidated by the secondary long-term pulmonary congestion. We decided to perform pneumonectomy because the consolidated right lung and the back-flow from the right pulmonary aretry would worsen the present hemodynamic state of patient. Post-operative course was uneventful, and she could be discharged with good general conditions.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.593-597
• /
• 1992

The bronchopleural fistula[BPF] due to bronchial stump disruption after pneumonec-tomy has remained one of the most dreadful complications to now. The management of the BPF with empyema thoracis are still therapeutic dilemma even though a various surgical methods for the control of BPF with or without empyema thoracis. We have experienced the successful treatment of BPF & empyema thoracis with transsternal transpericardial approach. The patient was a 54 years old male who was taken left pneumonectomy at W. Medical Center at sept, 19th. 1991. He was suffered from the BPF R empyema thoracis and so was transferred to our hospital at Nov. 19th. 1991. We treated the patient with transsternal transpericardial bronchial closure for BPF, and put clagett procedure for empyema thoracis in 2 weeks. We think this kind of surgical techniques is one of the relatively simple and effective method for the control of BPF and empyema thoracis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.285-291
• /
• 1980

Post pneumonectomy empyema either with bronchopleural fistula or without bronchopleural fistula is an infrequent postoperative complication, but very serious and critical problem. But it is of some interest that the development of a postoperative empyema following resection for carcinoma of the lung might have a favorable effect on the survival of patients in recent speculation of the literature. We have experienced 4 cases of postoperative empyema following pneumonectomy for carcinoma of the lung at department of chest surgery, Yon Sei University, medical college during 11 years from Jan. 1968 to June 1980. Histologically, 3 cases were demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma except one oat cell carcinoma. Onset of postoperative empyema occurred over a wide range of time, from as early as the 5th postoperative day to insidious onset 6 months after pneumonectomy. The most common organisms isolated from the empyema cavities were staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram negative bacilli. All cases had a large number of organisms and more infections but not single infection. 2 out of 4 cases are treated with open pleural window drainage and irrigation with antibiotic`s solution 2 or 3 times per week by this time and postoperative general course is not eventful. One is alive to 2 years 3 months, another is alive to 8 years 11 months until now. And 2 out of 4 patients is survived over 4 years 10 months. Analysis of postoperative empyema complicating pneumonectomy for bronchogenic carcinoma revealed an increase in 4 year 10 months survival [50%].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.540-543
• /
• 1998

A patient with post-pneumonectomy empyema was treated sucessfully by modification of Clagett's operation after closure of bronchopleural fistula using a transsternal, transpericardial approach. His primary disease was pulmonary tuberculosis, and he had a past history of left upper lobe lobectomy 34 year ago. Recently recurred pulmonary tuberculosis with aspergilloma in the remaining left lung, empyema with bronchopleural fistula had developed on the post-operative 4th day after completion pneumonectomy. Closed thoracostomy was done at the lowest point of the left pleural cavity immediately. The pleural cavity was irrigated with small amount of normal saline through pigtail catheter. The 2nd operation was done by closure of bronchopleural fistula using a stapler through transsternal, transpericardial approach, and then the pleural space was irrigated with normal saline with Tobramycin which shows sensitivity to isolated organism from pleural cavity. After negative conversion of pleural fluid culture, we performed modified Clagett's operation under local anesthesia. The patient had no evidence of recurrence of empyema and discharged from hospital after 10 days of the 3rd procedure.