Postpneumonectomy stump fistula in a ventilated patient.

Abstract

The development of a postpneumonectomy stump fistula in a ventilated patient is a feared and frequently fatal event. Furthermore, the necessity of a pneumonectomy from sequelae of blunt trauma is rare. We describe the salvage of a young patient with a combination of the above events. The method involves the use of a simple intravenous bag "plombage" in combination with a regional thoracoplasty to buttress a resutured bronchial stump.