Successful treatment of a life-threatening air leakage, complicating severe abdominal sepsis, with a one-way endobronchial valve

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2012 Oct;15(4):779-80. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivs258. Epub 2012 Jul 3.

Abstract

A 41-year-old woman had a jeopardizing air leak from an alveolar-pleural and transdiaphragmatic fistula with pulmonary cavitation, secondary to a severe postoperative abdominal sepsis. Her condition dramatically improved by introduction, in the lower bronchus, of a one-way endobronchial valve, leading to immediate cessation of air leakage and removal of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and thus avoiding a lower left lobectomy with myoplasty. Furthermore, removal of the valve nine weeks later led to near-complete recovery of the left lower lobe.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bronchoscopy / instrumentation*
  • Diaphragm / surgery*
  • Drainage
  • Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
  • Female
  • Gastrectomy / adverse effects*
  • Gastric Fistula / diagnosis
  • Gastric Fistula / etiology
  • Gastric Fistula / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Pneumothorax / etiology
  • Pneumothorax / surgery*
  • Pulmonary Alveoli / surgery*
  • Reoperation
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / etiology
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / surgery
  • Respiratory Tract Fistula / diagnosis
  • Respiratory Tract Fistula / etiology
  • Respiratory Tract Fistula / surgery*
  • Sepsis / diagnosis
  • Sepsis / etiology
  • Sepsis / surgery*
  • Surgical Wound Infection / diagnosis
  • Surgical Wound Infection / etiology
  • Surgical Wound Infection / surgery*
  • Thoracotomy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome