Iatrogenic bronchial injury findings during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

We report herein a patient with lung cancer who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery right lower lobectomy. During surgery, pneumomediastinum and air leakage from mediastinal fatty tissue were detected. Furthermore, bronchial injury to the membranous part of the left main bronchus was incidentally detected. Hence, we switched from video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to posterolateral thoracotomy and repaired this bronchial injury using a continuous suture technique under right femoral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. The intraoperative findings could offer a clue for early detection and development of therapeutic strategy for iatrogenic tracheobronchial injury.
Source: General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Source Type: research