Treatment of recalcitrant subcutaneous emphysema using negative pressure wound therapy dressings.
Subcutaneous emphysema frequently occurs after pulmonary resection, but is usually mild and self-limiting. Patients can, however, develop severe symptomatic subcutaneous emphysema despite adequate thoracic drainage. There is a paucity of efficacious treatments for subcutaneous emphysema that does not respond to chest tube drainage. Previous reports have suggested that thoracoscopy may be an efficacious treatment, but is unfavourable due to the risks associated with reoperation. We present a case of a patient who developed severe subcutaneous emphysema after pulmonary lobectomy that was quickly and effectively treated using a commercially available negative pressure wound therapy dressing.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Christopher
C
Towe
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Brian
B
Solomon
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Jessica S
JS
Donington
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Harvey I
HI
Pass
D000368:Aged; D015505:Chest Tubes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*