Transpericardial completion pneumonectomy with omental pedicle flap for chronic empyema caused by bronchiectasis

A 61-year-old man received right middle and lower lobectomies for lung abscess caused by bronchiectasis in 1957. Since the right upper lobe was destroyed and multiple peripheral bronchopleural fistulae developed later, open thoracostomy was done in 1990. For this patient we performed transpericardial completion pneumonectomy with omental pedicle flap in 1993. He was complicated in a transient thoracic empyema. But he recovered by open drainage followed by surgical closure using Clagett's method and remains well 2 years after the radical operation. Transpericardial approach with omental pedicle flap though a median sternotomy seemed useful to prevent the postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula in this patient with thoracic empyema. But the primary closure of the empyema cavity should not be done, if dead space remains in the pleural cavity.