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Supradiaphragmatic thoracic duct clipping for chylothorax through left-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Atsushi Watanabe1, Tetsuya Koyanagi, Shinji Nakashima
1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South 1, West 16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8543, Japan. atsushiw@sapmed.ac.jp
Abstract:
Chylothorax is a life-threatening clinical entity. Traditional surgical management for cases refractory to conservative treatment is thoracic duct ligation through a right open thoracotomy or closure of the site of duct laceration through an open thoracotomy. We report herein two patients with left chylothorax successfully treated by supradiaphragmatic thoracic duct (STD) ligation through left-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). This approach offers optimal exposure for the thoracic duct ligation and is useful for treatment of left chylothorax after left-sided thoracic surgery and idiopathic left chylothorax.