Pedicle muscle flap transposition for chronic empyema with persistent bronchopleural fistula: experience of a single clinical center in China

Salvage treatment of acute respiratory failure after autogenous tissue flap transplantation for chronic empyema with chest wall sinus: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Chronic empyema with chest wall sinus is a difficult and complex disease caused by multiple causative factors. It is difficult to control local infection due to its possible combination of bronchopleural fistula (BPF) and residual bone.The relevant literature emphasizes some risk factors for empyema progression after pneumonectomy, while the correlation between empyema and BPF after pneumonectomy increases mortality by infecting the remaining lungs. After pneumonectomy, the lung function of the contralateral side is particularly important.

CASE PRESENTATION

This paper reports a 62-year-old male patient who underwent right pneumonectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung 12 years ago and began to develop empyema with anterior chest wall sinus 3 years ago. After admission, chest computed tomography (CT) showed right pleural effusion and formation of chest wall sinus. According to his clinical symptoms and imaging examination, he was diagnosed as chronic empyema with chest wall sinus.Due to the huge residual cavity of the patient,the clinical effect of using free vastus lateralis myocutaneous flap combined with pedicled pectoralis major muscle flap to fill the abscess cavity was satisfactory,but acute respiratory failure occurred due to left lung aspiration pneumonia after operation.

CONCLUSIONS

After a series of treatment measures such as tracheal cannula, tracheotomy, anti-infection, maintenance of circulatory stability, and rehabilitation training, the patient was ultimately rescued and cured. Postoperative follow-up showed that the muscle flaps survived and empyema was eliminated.

Preliminary experience of autologous free myocutaneous flap combined with free dermal graft in the treatment of refractory empyema with bronchopleural fistula

Objectives

To explore the effects of autologous free dermal graft combined with free myocutaneous flap on bronchopleural fistula (BPF) with empyema, we summarized and analyzed two cases.

Methods

Two patients with refractory empyema and BPF were treated with autologous free dermal graft combined with free myocutaneous flap. The treatment included debridement of empyema, rib resection drainage, repair of bronchopleural fistula, and free vastus lateralis myocutaneous flap transplantation to eliminate the empyema. After the free dermal graft was harvested from the healthy skin around the incision, it was inserted into the fistula and sutured with the surrounding pleural tissue. The keys to the operation lies in the anastomosis of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA), vein and nerve that supply the vastus lateralis muscle flap to the thoracodorsal vessels and nerves. After surgery, the empyema, air leakage, and the survival of the myocutaneous flap were observed.

Results

There was no disease recurrence after follow-up for seven and six months, respectively. Re-examination of the chest computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that the abscess cavity had disappeared. No necrosis of the myocutaneous flap was observed after surgery.

Conclusion

The application of autologous free dermal graft combined with free vastus lateralis myocutaneous flap transplantation is effective in the treatment of patients with bronchopleural fistula with refractory chronic empyema, and the clinical effect is satisfactory.

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Surgical treatment of refractory empyema.

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Autologous free dermal graft combined with free myocutaneous flap in the treatment of refractory bronchopleural fistula with empyema.

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Application of free myocutaneous flap in patients with empyema.

Limited thoracoplasty and free musculocutaneous flap transposition for postpneumonectomy empyema: A case report

BACKGROUND

Empyema is a severe complication following pneumonectomy that is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Although there are a wide variety of treatment options, successful management remains challenging when this condition is combined with a large cavity in very thin patients who had previously undergone a posterolateral thoracotomy.

CASE SUMMARY

We reported the case of a thin, 63-year-old man with a progressive pulmonary cyst who underwent left pneumonectomy via posterolateral thoracotomy 23 years ago. After an initially uneventful postoperative course, he was readmitted with empyema and a large cavity 21 years after surgery. He was successfully treated with limited thoracoplasty, followed by free vastus lateralis musculocutaneous flap transposition.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights that the treatment mode of limited thoracoplasty and free vastus lateralis musculocutaneous flap transposition is safe and effective for the management of postpneumonectomy empyema with a large cavity in thin patients who had previously undergone a posterolateral thoracotomy.

The Amplatzer device and pedicle muscle flap transposition for the treatment of bronchopleural fistula with chronic empyema after lobectomy: two case reports

Background

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) refers to an abnormal channel between the pleural space and the bronchial tree. It is a potentially fatal postoperative complication after pulmonary resection and a complex challenge for thoracic surgeons because many patients with BPF ultimately develop refractory empyema, which is difficult to manage and has a major impact on quality of life and survival. Therefore, an operative intervention combined with conservative and endoscopic therapies may be required to control infection completely, to occlude BPF, and to obliterate the empyema cavity during treatment periods.

Case presentation

Two patients who suffered from BPF complicated with chronic empyema after lobectomy were treated in other hospitals for a long time and did not recover. In our department, we performed staged surgery and creatively combined an Amplatzer Septal Occluder (ASO) device (AGA Medical Corp, Golden Valley, MN, USA) with pedicled muscle flap transposition. First, open-window thoracostomy (OWT), or effective drainage, was performed according to the degree of contamination in the empyema cavity after the local infection was controlled. Second, Amplatzer device implantation and pedicled muscle flap transposition was performed at the same time, which achieved the purpose of obliterating the infection, closing the fistula, and tamponading the residual cavity. The patients recovered without complications and were discharged with short hospitalization stays.

Conclusions

We believe that the union of the Amplatzer device and pedicle muscle flap transposition seems to be a safe and effective treatment for BPF with chronic empyema and can shorten the length of the related hospital stay.

An 83-year-old-male with bronchopleural fistula and empyema successfully treated with multidisciplinary management of thoracostomy, endoscopic, and surgical treatment: a case report

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) with empyema is a severe complication in patients undergoing lobectomy or pneumonectomy and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Although a wide variety of treatment options exist, refractory cases with larger fistulas are still difficult to cure, especially in elderly patients. Here, we report a case of an 83-year-old man with stage I squamous cell lung carcinoma who underwent minimally invasive right lower lobectomy. After an initially uneventful postoperative course, he was readmitted to our hospital due to the progression of severe cough with fever after lung resection. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed an empyema cavity containing pleural effusion and a drainage tube in the right lower thorax. Bronchoscopy confirmed the presence of a fistula between the right lower bronchial stump and the pleural cavity. On the basis of his clinical symptoms and these imaging findings, the patient was diagnosed with BPF with empyema after lobectomy. He was successfully treated with multidisciplinary management including adequate pleural drainage by open-window thoracostomy, closure of the BPF by endoscopic therapy using an Amplatzer device, and complete obliteration of the empyema cavity with pedicled muscle flap. Multidisciplinary management combining thoracostomy, endoscopic therapy, and pedicled muscle flap transfer is a safe and effective treatment for elderly patients with larger fistulas and empyema.

Effective treatment of bronchopleural fistula with empyema by pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap transfer: Two case report

RATIONALE

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a dreaded complication after lobectomy or pneumonectomy and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Successful management remains challenging when this condition is combined with empyema, and the initial treatment is usually conservative and endoscopic, but operative intervention may be required in refractory cases.

PATIENT CONCERNS

Two patients diagnosed with BPF with empyema were selected to undergo surgery in our hospital because they could not be cured by conservative and endoscopic therapy for 1 or more years. One was a 70-year-old man who had a 1-year history of fever and cough after he received a minimally invasive right lower lobectomy for intermediate lung adenocarcinoma and chemotherapy 2 years ago; the other was a 73-year-old man who had a 2-year history of cough and fever after he underwent a minimally invasive right upper lobectomy for early lung adenocarcinoma 3 years earlier.

DIAGNOSIS

Both patients were diagnosed with BPF with empyema.

INTERVENTIONS

After receiving conservative and endoscopic therapies, both patients underwent pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap transfers for complete filling of the empyema cavity.

OUTCOMES

The patients recovered very well, with no recurrence of BPF and empyema during postoperative follow-up.

LESSONS

It is crucial to not only completely control infection and occlude BPFs, but also obliterate the empyema cavity. Thus, pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap transfer associated with conservative and endoscopic therapies for BPF with empyema is a useful treatment option, offering feasible and efficient management with promising results.

One-stage closure of large bronchopleural fistula with pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap after preemptive antibiotics: A case report

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Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) often needs two-stage closure after fenestration.

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This case highlights one-stage surgical closure of a large BPF with a muscle flap.

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Pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap would be useful even for 3-cm sized BPF.

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Preemptive antibiotics minimized local infection in ischemic bronchitis before BPF.

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Minimum infection with a limited-size space may be a key for one-stage closure.

Introduction

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after lung cancer surgery is a life-threatening complication and often needs two-stage closure after fenestration. Although one-stage closure of BPF is challenging, it would provide shorter treatment time and lower patient physical burden than two-stage closure. However, there have been few reports of one-stage closure of a large BPF.

Presentation of case

A 53-year-old man underwent robotic right lower lobectomy with systematic lymph node dissection. Postoperative bronchoscopy revealed an ischemic change in the bronchial stump, which progressed to a large BPF. However, under the preemptive antibiotic treatment without chest drainage, local infection was controlled within a limited pleural space. We successfully performed one-stage closure of a 3-cm sized BPF with pedicled latissimus dorsi (PLD) muscle flap.

Discussion

Early diagnosis of ischemic bronchitis and appropriate preceding antibiotic treatment could minimize the local infection around the fistula. To our knowledge, our case represented the largest BPF that was successfully treated by one-stage procedure using preemptive antibiotics and the PLD muscle flap.

Conclusion

One-stage closure using the PLD muscle flap may be a treatment option even for a 3-cm sized BPF, wherein infection is controlled and the relevant pleural cavity is limited.

Free vastus lateralis musculocutaneous flap transfer for radiation-induced chest wall fistula combined with osteomyelitis: Two case report

RATIONALE

Chronic chest wall fistula is a refractory and agonizing disease that results from multiple predisposing etiologies, including radiation-induced damage. Successful management remains challenging when this condition is combined with osteomyelitis, and a limited number of reports have been published in the literature concerning this management.

PATIENT CONCERNS

Two Chronic chest wall fistula patients were selected to undergo surgery in our hospital because they could not be cured by conventional therapy for several years. One is a 74-year-old female who has received a right radical mastectomy and had radiation therapy 23 years ago; the other is a 59-year-old male who underwent a excision of thyroid cancer and had chemoradiation therapy 20 years earlier.

DIAGNOSIS

Both patients were diagnosed with radiation-induced chest wall fistula combined with osteomyelitis.

INTERVENTIONS

After total resection of the diseased chest walls, both patients underwent free vastus lateralis musculocutaneous flap transfers, in which the vessels were microvascularly anastomosed to the transverse carotid artery and vein via a subcutaneous tunnel or a direct incision. Histologic evaluations of the specimens demonstrated inflammation and osteomyelitis.

OUTCOMES

The patients recovered very well and currently have no recurrence of chest wall fistulae during the postoperative follow-up.

LESSONS

It is crucial to not only completely resect chest wall fistulae and the surrounding diseased tissues but also reconstruct the chest wall. Thus, the use of the free vastus lateralis musculocutaneous flap transfer method for radiation-induced chest wall fistulae, combined with osteomyelitis, is a useful option for treatment and is also a feasible and efficient surgical procedure with promising results.