Amplatzer Device and Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy to Treat a Thoracic Empyema With Bronchopleural Fistula

• Published in: The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 92; no. 2; pp. e23 - e25
• Main Authors: Passera, Eliseo, MD, Guanella, Giovanni, MD, Meroni, Alberto, MD, Chiesa, Giuseppe, MD, Rizzi, Adriano, MD, Rocco, Gaetano, FRCSEd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01-08-2011
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - surgery; Aged; Bronchial Fistula - surgery; Bronchoscopy; Cardiothoracic Surgery; Debridement - methods; Empyema, Pleural - surgery; Fistula - surgery; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Pleural Diseases - surgery; Pneumonectomy; Postoperative Complications - surgery; Septal Occluder Device; Staphylococcal Infections - surgery; Surgery; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted - methods; Thoracostomy - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; 15
• ISSN: 0003-4975; 1552-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2011.03.047

We present a case of lower bilobectomy complicated by a large bronchopleural fistula and empyema 1 month after primary surgery. The patient was immediately treated with an open window thoracostomy. After surgical debridement, an Amplatzer Septal Occluder device (AGA Medical Corp, Plymouth, MN) was positioned to close the fistula. Thereafter, the thoracostomy rapidly and spontaneously closed with vacuum-assisted closure therapy.