Revista portuguesa de cardiologia : orgão oficial da Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia = Portuguese journal of cardiology : an official journal of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology
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Comparative Study
Octreotide--additional conservative therapy for postoperative chylothorax in congenital heart disease.
Chylothorax is a rare but serious postoperative condition in children with congenital heart disease. Conventional medical treatment consists of specific long-term dietary modification, and surgical reintervention, such as lymphatic duct ligation, may be indicated in refractory cases. In recent years, an additional conservative treatment, octreotide, a synthetic analog of somatostatin, has been used in management of congenital and postoperative chylothorax. ⋯ Octreotide is safe and effective in the treatment of postoperative chylothorax in children with congenital heart disease. It is a useful adjunctive therapy to the conventional treatment of this complication.