A Novel Approach to the Management of Persistent Postpneumonectomy Bronchopleural Fistula

Endoscopic closure of a bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy with the Amplatzer occluder: a step forward?

OBJECTIVES

A bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy is a relatively rare but very serious complication. The development of endoscopic methods of treatment opens a new page in treating this condition. The goal of this paper was to confirm that the atrial septal defect Amplatzer device can be used for bronchopleural fistula closure in properly selected patients.

METHODS

A retrospective study of 13 patients with bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy was performed. There were 11 men and 2 women aged 26-70 years. Right-sided fistulas occurred in 10 patients and left-sided fistulas occurred in 3. The underlying disease was lung cancer in 7 patients and pulmonary tuberculosis in 6. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (N = 7) and open-window thoracostomy (N = 6) were used to treat the empyema. To treat occlusion of the bronchial fistulas, we used Amplatzer atrial septal defect occluders originally intended for closure of ventricular and interatrial septal defects. The occluder was inserted from the bronchus by flexible bronchoscopy with the patient under local anaesthesia, with the help of video-assisted thoracoscopy or through a window thoracostomy from the pleural cavity.

RESULTS

We noted 3 complications after the procedure. In 2 patients, displacement of the occluders required re-installation in 1 patient and latissimus dorsi muscle coverage in the other. In the third patient, the occluder became dislodged during severe exacerbation of tuberculosis that occurred after the patient violated the treatment regimen. She died of tuberculosis 6 months after the occluder was inserted. The course in the remaining 10 patients was uneventful.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience suggests that the use of an atrial septal defect occluder for the treatment of a bronchial fistula after pneumonectomy is a reliable option.

Evolutional trends in the management of tracheal and bronchial injuries

Tracheal and Bronchial injuries are potentially life threatening complications which require urgent diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. They typically occur in association with blunt and penetrating chest trauma although they are increasingly being encountered in patients following endobronchial intervention and percutaneous tracheostomy insertion. Their precise incidence is unknown. Presenting features include dyspnoea, stridor, respiratory and haemodynamic compromise, haemoptysis, surgical emphysema, pneumothorax and persistent significant airleak. There may be other additional injuries to consider in trauma patients with large airway injury. Familiarity with the diagnosis and management of large airway injuries is important for medical teams engaged in emergency medicine, thoracic surgery and medicine, anaesthesia and intensive care. Although early surgical intervention is the mainstay of treatment, endobronchial manoeuvres to seal defects are receiving increasing attention particularly for patients with medical co-morbidities which may contraindicate formal surgery or transfer or where local surgical expertise is not available.

The use of self-expandable metallic stents in the airways in the adult population

The airway stents restore patency in the face of luminal compromise from intrinsic and/or extrinsic pathologies. Luminal compromise beyond 50% often leads to debilitating symptoms such as dyspnea. Silicone stents remain the most commonly placed stents worldwide and have been the "gold standard" for the treatment of benign and malignant airway stenoses over the past 20 years. Nevertheless, silicone stents are not the ideal stents in all situations. Metallic stents can serve better in some selected conditions. Unlike silicone stents, there are large and increasing varieties of metallic stents available on the market. The lack of prospective or comparative studies between various types of metallic stents makes the choice difficult and expert-opinion based. International guidelines are sorely lacking in this area.

Effective approach for the treatment of bronchopleural fistula: application of endovascular metallic ring-shaped coil in combination with fibrin glue

The development of bronchopleural fistula is an important complication after pulmonary resections. Generally, conventional treatment methods are used in patients having bronchopleural fistulas. Recently, there has been an increase in the use of minimally invasive methods yielding better results. In our study, we applied a combination of endovascular metallic ring coil and fibrin glue. We hereby think that such an approach for a combination might be a contribution to improving the already existing minimally invasive treatment methods.

Transthoracic Closure of a Postpneumonectomy Bronchopleural Fistula With Coils and Cyanoacrylate

Standard treatment for persistent bronchopleural fistulas involves thoracotomy with primary closure and transposition of a vascularized muscle flap to the bronchial leak site. This major operation may be ineffective or medically contraindicated. We successfully treated 2 patients by insertion of coils and cyanoacrylate glue into and adjacent to the fistula of a postpneumonectomy bronchial stump with computed tomographic-guided transthoracic needle. The coils served as scaffolding for cyanoacrylate glue to control the bronchopleural fistula.

Surgical Management of Late Postpneumonectomy Bronchopleural Fistula: The Transsternal, Transpericardial Route

BACKGROUND

Late postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula (LBPF) is a serious complication. Surgical repair of the bronchial stump through a lateral thoracotomy is a dangerous attempt due to mediastinal fibrothorax and the risk of pulmonary artery stump damage.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of the transsternal, transpericardial approach for bronchial stump repair in case of LBPF.

METHODS

From 1996 to 2002, 1,294 lung resections for non-small cell lung cancer were performed at our department. Out of 412 pneumonectomies, 16 patients (3.8%) presented with LBPF after right pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. Thirteen of these patients were subjected to transsternal, transpericardial bronchial stump repair. They were followed postoperatively, and morbidity and mortality rates were recorded.

RESULTS

The interval between pneumonectomy and fistula diagnosis lasted from 12 to 85 months. The estimated sizes of the fistulae ranged from 5 to 21 mm, and the length of the bronchial stump was >1 cm only in 2 patients (15.3%).Due to persistent empyema, open-window thoracostomy was performed for definite treatment immediately after the operation for bronchial stump reamputation in 6 cases (46.1%). One patient (7.6%) died 3 months postoperatively due to bronchopleural fistula recurrence. This was also the only case of fistula recurrence.

CONCLUSION

LBPF usually needs definite management to save the patient's life. The transsternal, transpericardial approach is a safe and effective method.

Use of a Removable Endobronchial Valve for the Treatment of Bronchopleural Fistula

We report the case of a patient with a prolonged bronchopleural fistula and empyema that were successfully treated by the placement of a removable, unidirectional endobronchial valve. This is the first report of the use of such a device for this indication.

Do Expandable Metallic Airway Stents Have a Role in the Management of Patients With Benign Tracheobronchial Disease?

BACKGROUND

With increasing availability many centers are deploying expandable metallic stents to manage patients with diverse endobronchial disorders. Although these devices have an important role in malignant disease their usefulness in benign large airway disorders is less defined.

METHODS

Between 1997 and 2005, 31 patients aged 34 to 83 years with benign large airway compromise secondary to tracheomalacia (n = 7), posttracheostomy stricture (n = 8), posttracheostomy rupture (n = 2), postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula (n = 2), stricture after lung transplantation (n = 3), lobectomy, tuberculosis, traumatic injury to right main bronchus (n = 1 patient each), and external compression of the airway secondary to achalasia, multinodular goiter, aortic aneurysm, right brachiocephalic artery aneurysm, right interrupted aortic arch, and dissecting aneurysm (n = 1 patient each) who were medically unfit for formal surgical intervention were treated by Ultraflex stent deployment. The range of follow-up was 1 week to 96 months. Stents were deployed under anesthesia using rigid bronchoscopy.

RESULTS

Complications included granulation tissue formation (n = 11) treated with Nd: YAG laser ablation, stent migration (n = 1; stent removed, another deployed), metal fatigue (n = 1), stent removal (n = 1), mucus plugging (n = 2), and halitosis (n = 6) difficult to treat despite antibiotics. Thirteen patients died of unrelated causes between 1 week and 15 months after stent deployment.

CONCLUSIONS

Endobronchial metallic stents should be considered only for selected patients with large airway compromise secondary to benign airway diseases for whom other medical comorbidities contraindicate formal airway surgery. Once deployed, they are difficult to remove, are associated with significant complications, and require prospective bronchoscopic surveillance and often further therapeutic intervention.

A Novel Approach: Treatment of Bronchial Stump Fistula With a Plugged, Bullet-Shaped, Angled Stent

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the initial clinical efficacy of a plugged, bullet-shaped, angled stent for managing bronchial stump fistula.

DESCRIPTION

The stent consisted of two parts. The body part had a diameter of 18 approximately 25 mm and was 30 mm long in a tubular configuration covered with polyethylene at the lower part. The bronchial limb was a bullet-shaped configuration with a dead end, 11 approximately 14 mm in diameter, 10 approximately 30 mm long covered with polyethylene. The body part and the bronchial limb were connected at the angled portion without overlap with use of nitinol wire and polyethylene. The stents were placed in 6 patients under fluoroscopic guidance.

EVALUATION

Stent placement was technically successful in all patients without complications. Immediate closure of the bronchial stump fistula was achieved in all patients after stent placement. Follow-up of 4 approximately 16 months, permanent closure of the bronchial pleural fistula was achieved in 4 patients (66.67%), and permanent closure of the bronchial stump fistula was achieved in 5 patients (83.33%). No complications occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Closure of the bronchial stump fistula with the stent was a simple, safe, and effective procedure.