Transpleural Сontralateral Occlusion of the Left Main Bronchus Stump in a Patient with Bronchopleural Fistula and Chronic Pleural Empyema

Abstract

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a pathological communication between the bronchial tree and the pleural cavity, the most common complication of anatomical lung resection.BPF rarely closes spontaneously and almost always requires surgical or bronchoscopic interventions.The main methods of treatment are sanitation of the pleural cavity with the development of empyema and re-occlusion of the bronchial stump. The development of this complication in the postoperative period is accompanied by an increase in hospitalization time, a high risk of chronic pleural empyema, exacerbation of chronic diseases and death. The mortality rate ranges from 18 to 67%. Most often, BPF is manifested after removal of the right lung (8-13%), compared with the left side (1-5%), which is due to the anatomical features of the main bronchus.The presented clinical case describes a non-standard surgical approach in the treatment of bronchopleural fistula and chronic empyema of the residual pleural cavity in a young patient.