[Surgical treatment of empyema (with or without bronchial fistula) after pneumonectomy]

Abstract

The therapeutical possibilities are discussed in the most severe of the complications of pneumectomy : empyema, with or without bronchial fistula. The value was demonstrated of the thoraco-mediastinal plicature in the solution of 21 cases of empyema (of which 6 had bronchial fistula) occuring after pneumectomies performed for bronchopulmonary cancers (10 patients), pulmonary tuberculosis (8 patients) and broncho-pulmonary suppurations (3 patients). The results obtained were very satisfactory in 19 cases while in the other two cases the cure of the empyema was achieved although the patients died as a result of the evolution of the basal disease (bronchopulmonary cancer).