Right pneumonectomy syndrome in infancy treated with an expandable prosthesis

Severe respiratory distress developed in a 5-month-old infant approximately ten days after pneumonectomy for complete sequestration of the right lung. Right pneumonectomy syndrome was diagnosed by bronchography, which revealed thinning and obstruction of the left main bronchus during expiration. A right thoracotomy was then performed, and an inflatable tissue expander with a subcutaneous injection port was inserted into the right chest cavity to prevent recurrence of the mediastinal shift and to allow for future growth. The patient has done well, requiring reinjection of the prosthesis with additional volume on one occasion in a 20-month period of follow-up.