title: Early endoscopic treatment of chylothorax develops after surgical treatment of lung cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chylothorax which occasionally develops after surgical treatment of lung cancer is generally treated conservatively, and surgical treatment is limited to patients who do not respond well to conservative treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 941 lung cancer operation, 6 patients in whom Chylothorax developed after surgical treatment of lung cancer were evaluated for its characteristics and outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients underwent thoracoscopic treatment. The duration of drainage was shorter for the 2 patients undergoing chylothorax operation than for the 4 patients who underwent conservative treatment. The mean duration of hospitalization after surgical treatment of lung cancer was 24 days for the patients who underwent conservative treatment alone and 12.5 days for the patients who underwent chylothorax operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients in whom chylothorax develops after surgical treatment of lung cancer should promptly undergo operation when the volume of chylous fluid is not decreased by conservative treatment.
authors: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Kanzaki
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Sasano
authors: Masahide
authors: M
authors: Murasugi
authors: Kunihiro
authors: K
authors: Oyama
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Kuwata
authors: Takamasa
authors: T
authors: Onuki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013997:Time Factors