Late complication of bovine pericardium patches used for lung volume reduction surgery

Lung volume reduction surgery has recently become an option for the management of patients with severe emphysema. The procedure consist of resecting non-functional lung in order to improve respiratory mechanics. Because postoperative prolonged air leakage is a serious complication of the operation, most surgeons now use staplers reinforced with bovine pericardial strips to seal the lung. We report a patient where the migration of an intact pericardium patch caused an obstructive pneumonia and recurrent hemoptysis over several years.