title: [The use of the reverse latissimus dorsi muscle flap in the management of bronchopleural fistula].
abstract: The management of a postoperative bronchopleural fistula remains a major challenge for the thoracic surgeon. We present a series of three patients who underwent closure of the fistulas with the distal flap of the divided latissimus dorsi muscle (the reverse latissimus dorsi muscle flap) and a limited thoracoplasty. The primary resections, which were performed through a standard posterolateral thoracotomy, were right lower lobectomy in two patients and right middle and lower bilobectomy in the other. The initial myoplasty produced prompt fistula closure in 2 patients and failed in the other patient because of a large empyema space. The reverse latissimus dorsi muscle flap could be used for the management of bronchopleural fistula in selected patients who underwent lower lobectomy or middle and lower bilobectomy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Tochigi Cancer Center, Utsunomiya, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minabe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013524:Surgical Flaps