General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Jan 2010
Case ReportsRetained foreign body following pleural drainage with a small-bore catheter.
Small-bore radiopaque drains can be used to drain pleural effusions. They offer reliable drainage of simple pleural effusions and provide a safe, less-invasive, more comfortable alternative to the standard tube thoracostomy. ⋯ Emphasized is the need for all staff to be familiar with the normal appearance of equipment being utilized in the ward and to report when incomplete removal of drain equipment is suspected. In addition, amendments to insertion techniques for such small-bore drains are proposed to avoid similar undue complications.
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Jan 2010
Case ReportsBilateral lung transplantation with closure of ventricular septal defect in a patient with Eisenmenger syndrome.
We report the first case with Eisenmenger syndrome secondary to an isolated perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) in a patient who underwent bilateral lung transplantation and closure of the VSD in Japan. This male patient was diagnosed as having a VSD associated with severe pulmonary hypertension at the age of 7, and right unilateral pulmonary artery banding was performed at age 9. ⋯ The ventricular contractility had gradually improved, and ventricular arrhythmia requiring amiodarone prior to lung transplantation had disappeared. When cardiac function is preserved, bilateral lung transplantation is an option for patients with Eisenmenger syndrome secondary to VSD and should be considered as an alternative to heart-lung transplantation, especially in Japan, where donor organ shortage is critical.