Effect of Surgecel coverage with topical electrocauterization for preventing and sealing pulmonary air leakage

Pleural tears usually occur after pneumolysis for dense adhesion or after cone biopsy of lung parenchyma. Repair of the tears is sometimes very difficult. Herein we compared different methods on a pig lung air leak model. Twenty pigs with pleural tears by surgical manipulation through sternotomy were not treated (n = 5) or treated by simple electroablation (n = 5), pleural coverage (n = 5), or Surgecel coverage with surface electroablation (n = 5). We evaluated their immediate and delayed treatment effect by measuring the critical leak pressure, degree of air leakage, and air leakage period and histological examination. It was found that Surgecel coverage with surface electrocauterization had similar early and delayed effects in sealing air leakage to pleural coverage and was much better than the other two groups (P < 0.05). We conclude that coverage with Surgicel with local electroablation can significantly decrease immediate and late air leakage from pleural tears.