The use of a dumon stent for the treatment of a bronchopleural fistula

We report the successful management of a bronchopleural fistula with bronchial stent placement combined with irrigation of the empyema cavity. A bronchopleural fistula occurred in a 67-year-old man after a right upper lobectomy for lung cancer. Resuturing of the bronchial stump plus omental wrapping and subsequent closure of the open stump with a pedicled flap of intercostal muscle were not effective. Consequently, we placed a Dumon stent in the right main bronchus to close the stump. (C) 2001 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.