Chylous leakage from a remaining duplicated left-sided thoracic duct after esophagectomy successfully treated by ligation of the left-sided thoracic duct with left-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with the patient in the prone position.
A 69-year-old man who had undergone an esophagectomy was diagnosed with chylous leakage on postoperative day 2, and his pleural effusion output gradually increased daily. On postoperative day 6, intranodal lymphangiography using lipiodol demonstrated chylous leakage from branches of an incomplete duplicated left-sided thoracic duct; it also indicated successful ligation of the right-sided thoracic duct at initial operation. After lymphangiography, the chylous leakage did not heal and remained uncontrollable. Based on the preoperative lymphangiographic findings, we ligated the left-sided thoracic duct with left-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, with the patient in the prone position, on postoperative day 9. The patient experienced no other postoperative complications. The use of the prone position with pneumothorax treatment was helpful in providing a wide operative field in the posterior mediastinum, thus allowing for a better chance for a successful postoperative outcome.
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Abe
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Ryosuke
R
Kawai
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Norihisa
N
Uemura
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Jiro
J
Kawakami
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Seiji
S
Ito
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Koji
K
Komori
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Yoshiki
Y
Senda
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Kazunari
K
Misawa
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Masayuki
M
Shinoda
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Yasuhiro
Y
Shimizu
D000368:Aged; D002913:Chyle; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016684:Prone Position; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
VATS; chylous leakage; esophagectomy