Surgical management of recurrent MRSA empyema with eloesser flap in a complex thoracic patient: lessons from endobronchial valve failure
Adeesh Parvathaneni, Jesus Enriquez · 2026
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Description
Adeesh Parvathaneni and Jesus Enriquez report why tiny airway valves failed in a man with repeated chest infection in a 2026 case study. After lung removal surgery, a leak between airway and chest cavity can persist, and endobronchial valves offer a less invasive seal, though their fate in chronic infection is poorly documented. A 74-year-old man returned 14 months after two Zephyr valves were placed at the bronchial stump, with recurrent resistant staph empyema.
During creation of an Eloesser flap, an open drainage window in the chest wall, surgeons found both valves displaced from the stump. One valve lay fully loose in the chest cavity, and the stump was eroded by chronic infection. After the flap, the patient improved and cultures turned negative at three months. The case argues for careful valve selection when infection persists and shows open drainage still rescues patients when valves fail.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Adeesh Parvathaneni, Jesus Enriquez |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 13 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |