Fistula of the Stump: A Novel Approach With a "Stapled" Stent

Postoperative bronchopleural fistulas are serious and uncommon complications after pneumonectomy. Available therapeutic approaches are medical, endoscopic, and/or surgical. A 42-year-old man underwent left pneumonectomy. Three years later he was admitted to an intensive care unit with pneumonia of the remaining lung, severe respiratory insufficiency, and a bronchopleural fistula with an air fluid level filling in the pneumonectomy cavity. A left chest drain was placed, and broad-spectrum antibiotics and mechanical ventilation were administered. Because of the unstable clinical condition, a blind end endobronchial stent closed by a stapler was placed in the left bronchial stump. He improved in a couple of months and underwent definitive surgical sealing of the fistula.Endoscopic interventions are usually safe and free from associated complications. They are an excellent option, when patient's clinical condition is contraindication to immediate surgery.