[Uniportal Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Acute Empyema]

A 70-year-old man was referred to our department for the treatment of acute empyema. Since the chest drainage was of little effect due to the fibrinous loculation, deloculation followed by curettage and decortication under uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery( VATS) with flexible endoscopy was performed. Complete re-expansion of the lung was successfully achieved and the chest tube was removed on the fourth postoperative day. However, on the seventh postoperative day, purulent discharge was noted from the wound resulting in relapse of empyema which was successfully treated with the cleaning and negative pressure suction by re-insertion of the chest tube.