Successful medical treatment of persistent pleural drainage after the Fontan operation.
Prolonged pleural drainage remains the most serious complication after the Fontan operation with considerable morbidity and resource implication. Standard treatment including low fat diet, protein replacement, diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapy is not always effective. We report a patient in whom excessive and persistent drainage was finally treated with a somatostatin analogue successfully.
Walther
Thomas
T
Klinik für Herzchirurgie, Herzzentrum, Universität Leipzig, 04289 Leipzig, Germany. walt@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Theune
Peter
P
Sullivan
Ian
I
de Leval
Marc R
MR