Abstract
The postoperative course of the graft tissue after bronchial stump coverage remains
unclear. We retrospectively analyzed 44 patients who underwent anatomical lung resection
followed by bronchial stump coverage using free pericardial fat grafts. All patients
underwent minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Computed tomography
scans showed a graft retention rate of 100% on 60 days after surgery, 61% on 180 days,
and plateauing at around 20% after 1 year. Free pericardial fat grafts, harvested
minimally invasively, demonstrated a promising retention rate after surgery, making
them a suitable option for patients with a high risk of bronchopleural fistula.
Keywords
minimally invasive surgery - surgery - complications - thoracoscopy - VATS
