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. 2020 Apr 5;53(2):41-48.
doi: 10.5090/kjtcs.2020.53.2.41.

Chylothorax after Surgery for Congenital Cardiac Disease: A Prevention and Management Protocol

Yu Rim Shin  1 , Ha Lee  1 , Young-Hwan Park  1 , Han Ki Park  1
Affiliations

Chylothorax after Surgery for Congenital Cardiac Disease: A Prevention and Management Protocol

Yu Rim Shin et al. Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Chylothorax after congenital heart surgery is not an uncommon complication, and it is associated with significant morbidity. However, consensus treatment guidelines are lacking. To improve the treatment outcomes of patients with postoperative chylothorax, we implemented a standardized management protocol at Severance Hospital in September 2014.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated at a single center was done. All corrective and palliative operations for congenital heart disease performed at our institution between January 2008 and April 2018 were reviewed. The incidence and treatment outcomes of postoperative chylothorax were analyzed.

Results: The incidence of chylothorax was 1.9%. Sixty-one percent of the patients could be managed with a low-fat diet, while 28% of the patients required complete restriction of enteral feeding. Thoracic duct embolization was performed in 2 patients and chest tube drainage decreased immediately after the procedure. No patient required thoracic duct ligation or pleurodesis. After implementation of the institutional management protocol, the number of chest tube drainage days decreased (median, 24 vs. 14 days; p=0.45).

Conclusion: Implementing a strategy to reduce postoperative chylothorax resulted in an acceptable incidence of postoperative chylothorax. Instituting a clinical practice protocol helped to curtail the treatment duration and to decrease the requirement for surgical treatment. Image-guided embolization of the thoracic duct is an effective treatment for postoperative chylothorax.

Keywords: Chylothorax; Congenital heart defects; Postoperative care; Postoperative complication.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Management protocol for postoperative chylothorax for children (A) and adults (B). MCT, medium chain triglyceride; NPO, nil per os; TPN, total parenteral nutrition.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(A, B) Chest tube drainage amount of the 2 patients who underwent lymphangiography and thoracic duct embolization for postoperative chylothorax.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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