Complications associated with covering the bronchial stump with pleura

Coverage of the bronchial stump with parietal pleura generally should be performed after pulmonary resection. We describe four patients who underwent coverage of the bronchial stump of the right upper lobe with a laterally based parietal pleural flap. The flap eventually caused distortion and collapse of the right intermediate bronchus, necessitating reoperation in three patients. This complication can be avoided.