Experiences with metal struts for chest wall stabilization.
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BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to report our 15-year experience treating chronic empyemas after pulmonary resection and tuberculosis. METHODS: Open-window thoracostomy and thoracomyoplasty were used to treat 40 patients with chronic pleural empyema characterized by residual empyematic cavity, bronchopleural fistula, and persistent pleural infections that were secondary to tuberculosis (n = 22) or pulmonary resection (n = 18). Between 2 and 7 months after thoracostomy, thoracomyoplasty was performed to eliminate a persistent pleural cavity. In 2 patients with postpulmonary resection empyema and a large bronchopleural fistula, intrathoracic transposition of the latissimus dorsi flap and open-window thoracostomy were performed simultaneously to close the fistula. RESULTS: The pleural space was eliminated per primam intentionem in 21 of 22 patients with tuberculosis and in 14 of 18 with a postpulmonary resection empyema. Another myoplasty was performed in an additional 3 patients to eliminate the pleural space. During open-window thoracostomy, the latissimus dorsi muscle was preserved with minimal injury to the anterior serratus muscle. One patient died postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Successful treatment of chronic pleural empyema requires adequate timing of surgical procedures. Our two-procedure technique is relatively simple and safe.
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Pectus excavatum repair usually results in unchanged or improved pulmonary function. However, a small subset of patients will experience severely impaired pulmonary function after pectus repair caused by restrictive lung disease, and no adequate surgical approach has been described for this condition. A procedure is described that is a variation of an operation for Jeune's thoracic dystrophy, that resulted in marked respiratory improvement in this setting. A 14-year-old boy had undergone standard pectus excavatum repair at age 4, from which he recovered uneventfully. Beginning at age 10 to 12 years progressive restrictive pulmonary disease, recurrent pneumonia, and cor pulmonale developed, which resulted in almost constant shortness of breath and the need for continuous nasal positive pressure support. Pulmonary function test results were markedly abnormal and worsening. He underwent an operative procedure consisting of sternal split that was wedged open permanently with rib struts, opening of pleura bilaterally, and six rib resections bilaterally. His postoperative recovery was satisfactory, and his pulmonary functions have shown steady improvement. He is now completely off oxygen and pressure support, has improved exercise tolerance, and has returned to school. Severe restrictive lung disease after pectus repair can be successfully managed with aggressive operative procedures. Patients should have close follow-up after pectus repair for the development of this potentially debilitating disorder to allow earlier repair.
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Thoracic wall resections are performed to treat a wide variety of conditions. Reconstruction techniques have varied considerably since the introduction of synthetic prosthesis, the most recent of which are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, or Gore-Tex). We describe our department's experience with PTFE prosthesis. PTFE was used in 21 patients treated for various diseases. Thirteen reconstructions were of the thoracic wall, 4 were of the diaphragm and 4 of the pericardium. Three of the 13 thoracic wall reconstructions involved bilateral myoplasty of the pectoralis major, 2 involved omentoplasty and 1 required use of a wide musculocutaneous flap. Complications included pneumonia in 2 cases and 1 seroma with chronic cutaneous fistula that required removal of the prosthesis after 9 months. Two patients died, 1 after 19 days and the other after 9 months, both as a result of causes unrelated to reconstruction. Follow-up of these patients ranged from 3 to 54 months. We recommend the prosthetic use of PTFE for thoracic wall reconstruction, along with plasty or musculocutaneous flaps when necessary.
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary complications have been a major cause of mortality after operations for cancer of the thoracic esophagus. Although the risk involved in esophagectomy associated with a major pulmonary operation is expected to be high, it has seldom been evaluated on the basis of clinical experience. STUDY DESIGN: Of 408 patients who underwent esophagectomy, 8 had previously undergone major pulmonary operation (7 for tuberculosis and 1 for pulmonary cancer) and 10 underwent concurrent major pulmonary resection (7 for pulmonary invasion of esophageal cancer, 2 for synchronous pulmonary cancer, 1 for extensive bronchiectasia). All patients underwent systematic lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer, except one patient with mucosal cancer. To prevent postoperative complications, the operative approach and dissection procedures for esophageal cancer were modified according to the associated pulmonary operation and the extent of cancer invasion. All thoracotomies for esophagectomy were performed on the same side as the major pulmonary operation. Additional median sternotomy was performed when necessary. In the most recent 8 patients who underwent major pulmonary resection concurrent with esophagectomy, the bronchial stump was covered with a pedicle flap. RESULTS: Of the 18 patients who underwent pulmonary operation, postoperative complications developed in 13 of the 18 object patients, but none was fatal. The 3-year survival rate was 45%. All deaths were caused by esophageal cancer or another cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive esophagectomy associated with major pulmonary operation is not contraindicated in patients with fair risk conditions. The operative procedures for esophagectomy should be appropriately modified to minimize the effect of the associated pulmonary operation. Special care should be taken with respect to the approach for mediastinal dissection and closure of the bronchial stump.
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