title: Combined Clagett procedure, negative pressure therapy, and thoracomyoplasty for treatment of late-onset postpneumonectomy empyema necessitatis.
abstract: Late-onset post-pneumonectomy empyema necessitatis can occur many years after the surgery and is a life-threatening condition. A 58-year-old male presented with empyema necessitatis 18 years after undergoing pneumonectomy. He was successfully treated with a modified two-stage Clagett procedure and ambulatory negative pressure as the bridge between the stages. The 72-month follow-up was uneventful. The complete obliteration of the rigid and wide residual postpneumonectomy cavity was necessary to avoid re-recurrence of the infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schreiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dudek
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Horia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sirbu
keywords: late-onset empyema; negative pressure therapy; postpneumonectomy empyema necessitatis