Endobronchial Valves in Persistent Air Leak

Persistent Air Leak (PAL) is independently associated with prolonged hospital length of stay, decreased patient satisfaction, increased morbidity or postoperative complications, and adds significantly to the cost. The management of air leaks is primarily preventive and therefore starts in the operating room with surgical techniques that can minimize the occurrence of post-operative air leaks, such as the creation of pleural tents or use of suture line glues or sealants. Notwithstanding some patients will after a lung resection have PAL. Any minimal invasive method that helps to increase our ability to treat (reduce and/or stop) the air leak in these latest cases carries an enormous clinical as well as cost-saving potential. Bronchoscopic occlusion of a segmental or subsegmental bronchus using endobronchial valves is such a less invasive method which has shown in case reports to interrupt an air leak.

Inclusion criteria

• Prolonged (≥10 days postoperative) persistent air leak refractory to conventional treatments (such as prolonged drainage and/or chemical pleurodesis).
• Anatomical lung resection such as segmentectomy, (bi)lobectomy or sleeve lobectomy.
• Air leak after antero/posterolateral thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS).
• Type of air leak : expiratory.
• Size of air leak : any.

Exclusion criteria

• Prolonged air leak <10 days postoperative.
• Pneumonectomy or none-anatomical lung resection.
• Lung resection for another indication than cancer.
• Previous reintervention or previous Heimlich valve for this air leak.
• Empyema