{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T08:35:10Z","timestamp":1776501310530,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","issue":"08","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Thorac cardiovasc Surg"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n            Background\u2003Postpneumonectomy empyema (PPE) is a serious complication even when it is not associated with bronchopleural fistula (BPF). Besides irrigation, an aggressive treatment is usually applied for removing infected material. However, a minimally invasive approach might achieve satisfactory results in selected patients.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n            Methods\u2003We retrospectively identified 18 patients presenting with PPE receiving video-thoracoscopic approach. Of these 18 patients, pneumonectomy was performed for nonsmall cell lung cancer in 15 cases, for mesothelioma in 2, and for trauma in 1 case. There were 14 males and 4 females, (mean age, 62 years; range, 44\u201373 days). Empyema was confirmed by thoracentesis and bacteriological examination. All patients had immediate chest tube drainage and underwent thoracoscopic debridement of the empyema. Fifteen patients had no proven BPF; two had suspicious BPF, and one had a minor (&lt;3 mm) BPF.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n            Results\u2003Median time from pneumonectomy to empyema diagnosis was 129 days (range, 7\u20136205 days). Median time from drain position to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedure was 10 days (range, 2\u201378 days). A bacterium was isolated in 13 cases (72.2%). There was no mortality and no morbidity related to the procedure. The average duration of thoracoscopic debridement was 56 minutes (range, 40\u201390 minutes). Median postoperative stay was 7 days (range, 6\u201318 days). Only in one patient an open-window thoracostomy was performed. Median follow-up of the 18 patients receiving thoracoscopy was 41.5 months (range, 1\u201378 months). None had recurrent empyema. The patient with a minor BPF remained asymptomatic and is doing well at 48 months follow-up.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n            Conclusions\u2003Thoracoscopy might be a valid approach for patients presenting with PPE with or without minimal BPF. Video-thoracoscopic debridement of postpneumonectomy space is an efficient method to treat PPE.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0038-1667008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,8,7]],"date-time":"2018-08-07T22:59:14Z","timestamp":1533682754000},"page":"701-706","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Video-Thoracoscopic Management of Postpneumonectomy Empyema"],"prefix":"10.1055","volume":"66","author":[{"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Spaggiari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Thoracic Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Oncology and Hematology-Oncology-DIPO, University of Milan, Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Domenico","family":"Galetta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Thoracic Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"194","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,8,7]]},"container-title":["The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.thieme-connect.de\/products\/ejournals\/pdf\/10.1055\/s-0038-1667008.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2018,12,12]],"date-time":"2018-12-12T23:37:40Z","timestamp":1544657860000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.thieme-connect.de\/DOI\/DOI?10.1055\/s-0038-1667008"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,8,7]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"08","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,12,12]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,11]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1055\/s-0038-1667008","relation":{},"ISSN":["0171-6425","1439-1902"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0171-6425","type":"print"},{"value":"1439-1902","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,8,7]]}}}