ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85:2147-2149. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2007.11.061
© 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Jiang, L.
Right arrow Articles by Ding, J.-a.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Jiang, L.
Right arrow Articles by Ding, J.-a.
Related Collections
Right arrow Chest wall

How To Do It

Free Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous Flap for Chronic Postoperative Empyema

Lei Jiang, MD*, Ge-ning Jiang, MD, Wen-xin He, MD, Jiang Fan, MD, Yi-ming Zhou, MD, Wen Gao, MD, Jia-an Ding, MD

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Accepted for publication November 20, 2007.

* Address correspondence to Dr Jiang, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, No. 507 Zhengming Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China (Email: jgnwp{at}yahoo.com.cn).

Chronic postoperative empyema remains a challenge for thoracic surgeons. Free musculocutaneous flap transplantation may provide a good alternative option in the treatment of these refractory complications after pulmonary resections. Three patients with chronic postoperative empyemas combined with bronchopleural fistulas underwent obliteration of the empyema tracts with free rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap transplantations. Surgical treatment was a two-stage procedure that consisted of open-window thoracostomy, followed by obliteration of the pleural cavity using a free transfer of the ipsilateral, full-thickness rectus muscle flap and microanastomoses. No postoperative complications occurred, and the 3 patients resumed normal daily activities. Free rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap transplantation is safe and effective in the management of chronic postoperative empyema with bronchopleural fistula.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 2008 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.