Thoracotomy Wound Dehiscence After Lung Transplant Is an Effective Surgical Solution: A Case Report

Post-thoracotomy wound dehiscence after a lung transplant carries with it morbidity in the postoperative period. While this complication has been widely reported in the literature after a clamshell incision, the thoracotomy dehiscence's surgical solution has not received much emphasis. We present an original technical solution to deal with this complication, performed successfully in a 62-year-old woman diagnosed as having idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis after a single lung transplant. This surgical treatment consists of necrotic rib tissue removal, pleural effusion drainage, pulmonary adhesion removal, and chest wall defect reparation with bioabsorbable mesh. This operative technique results safe and effective for thoracotomy dehiscence reparation.