Successful Treatment of Bronchial Dehiscence With Endobronchial Stent in Lung Transplantation

G M Ferraroli,M Ravini,L Valvassori,P A Belloni,M Torre

doi:10.1155/dte.6.183

Abstract

Bronchial dehiscence in lung transplantation is still a significant and threatening cause of morbidity, even if several progresses have been made in this field. In the present report we discuss a case of incomplete dehiscence of the right bronchial anastomosis in a patient who underwent sequential double lung transplantation for bronchiectasis. This complication has been successfully treated with endobronchial stent positioning, with the aim to allow the healing of the anastomosis around a rigid endobronchial support and to prevent the airway stenosis. The usefulness of 3D spiral CT reconstruction of bronchial tree is also underlined, for its capacity to detect the dehiscence and to monitor the healing of this complication.

Highlights

Improvements in patient selection, lung preservation, surgical technique, and immunosuppression have led to a decrease in the incidence of airway-related complications, bronchial dehiscence still remains a significant and threatening cause of morbidity in lung transplant recipients
We report a case of incomplete discontinuity of the right bronchial anastomosis in a patient who Corresponding author
The dehiscence, recognized by fiberoptic bronchoscopy, was successfully treated by stent positioning, with the aim to allow the healing of the anastomosis around a rigid endobronchial support and to prevent the airway stenosis

Summary

Case Report

Successful Treatment of Bronchial Dehiscence with Endobronchial Stent in Lung Transplantation. In the present report we discuss a case of incomplete dehiscence of the right bronchial anastomosis in a patient who underwent sequential double lung transplantation for bronchiectasis. This complication has been successfully treated with endobronchial stent positioning, with the aim to allow the healing of the anastomosis around a rigid endobronchial support and to prevent the airway stenosis. The usefulness of 3D spiral CT reconstruction of bronchial tree is underlined, for its capacity to detect the dehiscence and to monitor the healing of this complication. Keywords." Bronchial dehiscence, Bronchial stent, Lung transplantation, 3D spiral CT

INTRODUCTION

CASE REPORT

Findings

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION