[Posttraumatic chylothorax. Experience in the postoperative period following cardiothoracic surgery]

To report the accumulated experience in the treatment of patients with postoperative chylothorax (CHT) recovery utilizing pleural drainage associated to alipoidic diet and/or intravenous nutrition.

The aim of this work is to analyse the management of 11 patients (8 males; 11 months to 70 years old) with post-operative CHT. The previous pathologies were: congenital heart disease in 7; coronary insufficiency in 2; pulmonary tumor in 1 and mediastinal tumor in 1. The diagnosis was made up to 2nd postoperative week in 6, up to 4th week in 3 and later in 2 patients. The volume through the drain ranged from 200 to 3200ml/24h (median 636ml/24h). The laboratory diagnosis was made by lipidic presence in pleural effusion. In all patients the clinical management was made by hipo or alipoidic diet.

In 7 the response was good with a decrease of drainage progressively. In 4, it was necessary the introduction of intravenous nutrition by the insufficient response and maintenance of drainage. The reoperation was not used and lymph fistula closed in a period until 10 days in 1 patient; until 20 days in 6 and after this in 4.

In conclusion, the post-operative CHT may be treated by thoracic drainage and alipoidic diet and/or intravenous nutrition with fistula closure in all patients and without need of reoperation.