MODIFIED OPEN DRAINAGE FOR CHRONIC EMPYEMA

Open Thoracotomy and Decortication for Chronic Empyema

OBJECTIVES Traditionally, chronic empyema has been treated by thoracotomy and decortication. Some recent reports have claimed similar clinical results for videothoracoscopy, but with less morbidity and mortality than open procedures. Our experience with thoracotomy and decortication is reviewed so that the results of this surgical procedure can be adequately evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS F...

Open Drainage in Chronic Subdural Hematomas: A Prospective Study of 189 Cases

Background & Importance: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) is one of the most frequent intracranial hemorrhages in adults. However, gold standard treatment of CSH is not yet defined. Since the 80’s, closed drainage is a standard among techniques using drains because the open type has been incriminated in high rates of postoperative infections. However, closed drainage requires mat...

Empyema following percutaneous catheter drainage of upper abdominal abscess.

Percutaneous catheter drainage is a standard therapy for management of selected intra-abdominal abscesses. We describe three patients in whom this technique caused complicated thoracic empyemas. All patients required thoracotomy for decortication despite initial thoracostomy tube drainage. In each case, the percutaneously placed drainage catheter was found traversing the costophrenic angle, lea...

The Treatment of Chronic Empyema.

Necrotizing fasciitis following drainage of Streptococcus milleri empyema.

Streptococcus milleri (SM) is a heterogeneous group of Streptococci, which is a recognized cause of purulent infections of the mediastinal and pleural spaces. These infections are notoriously resistant and require aggressive surgical management. We present our experience with a 60-year-old patient, who developed necrotizing fasciitis of the chest wall after initial bedside drainage of a SM empy...