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Review
. 2022 Apr 26;14(9):1803.
doi: 10.3390/nu14091803.

Postoperative Chylothorax in Neonates and Infants after Congenital Heart Disease Surgery-Current Aspects in Diagnosis and Treatment

Georgios Samanidis  1   2 , Georgios Kourelis  3 , Stavroula Bounta  3 , Meletios Kanakis  2
Affiliations
Review

Postoperative Chylothorax in Neonates and Infants after Congenital Heart Disease Surgery-Current Aspects in Diagnosis and Treatment

Georgios Samanidis et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Postoperative chylothorax is a rare complication following cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) in the pediatric population, including neonates and infants. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the development of postoperative chylous effusions, mainly the traumatic injury of lymphatic vessels, systemic venous obstruction and dysfunction of the right ventricle. In this review, we focus on the existing evidence regarding the definition and diagnosis of postoperative chylothorax in children with CHD, as well as current therapeutic approaches, both nutritional and interventional, for the management of these patients. As part of nutritional management, we specifically comment on the use of defatted human milk and its effect on both chylothorax resolution and patient growth. A consensus with regard to several key aspects of this potentially significant complication is warranted given its impact on the cost, morbidity and mortality of children with CHD.

Keywords: MCT; breast milk; chylothorax; congenital heart disease; low fat diet; nutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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