Abstract
Persistent air leak is the most common complication following pulmonary resection. Blood patch pleurodesis, first described in 1987, has shown promising results in small institutional studies for sealing persistent air leak, but it has failed to gain widespread adoption. In this chapter, we review the available data for blood patch pleurodesis, focusing specifically on its use for persistent air leak following pulmonary resection. Results from institutional trials of blood patch pleurodesis for persistent postoperative air leak show quicker time to resolution of air leak with few complications. Therefore, the application of blood patch pleurodesis may benefit post-resection patients with prolonged air leak refractory to traditional drainage.
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