Contralateral spontaneous pneumothorax after pneumonectomy: Thoracoscopic management with cardiopulmonary bypass

Abstract

Spontaneous contralateral pneumothorax after pneumonectomy is a rare condition. Management can be quite challenging, as surgical intervention other than tube thoracostomy poses significant risks. We report a case of spontaneous pneumothorax that did not resolve with conventional management, necessitating thoracoscopic bleb resection with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. © 2005 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.