Evaluation of surgical treatment of pyothorax with special reference to the usefulness of the omental pedicle flap method

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Abstract
The operative results in a series of 17 patients with pyothorax werereviewed. Of these, 10 had chronic empyema (group 1), and 7 hadpostoperative empyema (group 2). A single-stage operation was performed ineight patients in group 1 (decortication in six, thoracoplasty in one,omental plombage in one) and in all patients in group 2 (omentopexy infive, thoracoplasty in two). Two-stage procedures were performed in twopatients in group 1. We obtained favorable postoperative results in eightpatients in group 1, and in four patients in group 2. In our series, goodresults were not obtained by thoracoplasty alone; however, satisfactoryresults were achieved by short-term management in patients treated with theomental method. We think this series demonstrates the value of the omentalpedicle flap method, which prevents loss of function due to a defectiveorgan and offers excellent therapeutic results following an easy operativeprocedure. Further active application of this method can be expected in themanagement of thoracic disorders.

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