What is post pneumonectomy?

Postpneumonectomy syndrome is a rare syndrome of dynamic airway obstruction caused by extreme rotation and shift of the mediastinum after pneumonectomy, resulting in symptomatic central airway compression.

What is Bilobectomy?

Bilobectomy is commonly defined as an operation consisting of the resection of two pulmonary lobes on the right side, including the middle lobe.

What happens to chest after pneumonectomy?

In addition to the gradual accumulation of fluid, the post-pneumonectomy space shrinks, resulting in the elevation of the ipsilateral hemi-diaphragm, shifting of the mediastinum towards the post-pneumonectomy space, and hyperinflation and encroachment of the remaining lung into the post-pneumo- nectomy space (Figure 2 …

What is a Segmentectomy of the lung?

The essence of lung segmentectomy is to remove the lung disease without removing excess normal lung. Because the technique is technically demanding, some surgeons simply prefer to wedge out the lung lesion using a stapler. However, the recurrence rate after a wedge resection remains higher.

What is left pneumonectomy?

A pneumonectomy is a type of surgery to remove one of your lungs because of cancer, trauma, or some other condition. You have two lungs: a right lung and a left lung. These lungs connect to your mouth through a series of tubes.

Why do some pneumonectomy have chest tubes?

A few surgeons advocate placing a chest tube into the postpneumonectomy space for drainage. The advantage to placing a tube into the empty space is that it allows the surgeon to monitor for bleeding and evacuate collections from the pleural space.

When can a chest tube be removed after lobectomy?

Many thoracic surgeons use the threshold of 100–250 mL/day for indicating such removal, though several authors have reported that a chest tube can be removed safely when the daily pleural fluid amount is up to 450 mL, and without hematic or chylous contents (2).

What is post-pneumonectomy syndrome?

Post-pneumonectomy syndrome is delayed complication of pneumonectomy characterized by respiratory compromise caused by severe mediastinal shift and counterclockwise rotation of the heart and great vessels. Rare delayed complication of pneumonectomy, which more commonly involves the left main stem bronchus after a right pneumonectomy.

What are the radiographic and CT features of postpneumonectomy complications?

In this article, the radiographic and CT features of postpneumonectomy complications are described and correlated with the clinical setting. Initial chest radiographs after pneumonectomy should demonstrate a midline position of the trachea, slight congestion in the remaining lung, and a postpneumonectomy space that contains gas and fluid.

What should a chest xray show after a pneumonectomy?

Initial chest radiographs after pneumonectomy should demonstrate a midline position of the trachea, slight congestion in the remaining lung, and a postpneumonectomy space that contains gas and fluid. The rate of accumulation of fluid in the postpneumonectomy space is extremely variable (, 7 ).

What are the signs and symptoms of postpneumonectomy chylothorax?

Rapid excessive filling of the postpneumonectomy space with fluid on chest radiographs is often the first sign suggesting a postpneumonectomy chylothorax (,,, Fig 4 ). The attenuation of chylous effusions at CT is variable; it may be low due to the fat content of the fluid but more often is not because of the high protein content of the fluid.