Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) and cerebral infarction are rare but critical complications after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).
We experienced two cases of massive middle cerebral artery infarction after VATS for the left upper lobe. Although the precise source of their embolus was never identified, both cases were clinically suspected PVT. Unfortunately, case 2 died because of progressive cerebral herniation. We decided to perform contrast-enhanced computed tomography routinely after VATS for the left upper lobectomy (VATS-LUL) after these cases. Case 3, a 79-year-old female patient, underwent VATS-LUL for lung cancer. She developed PVT in the stump of the left upper pulmonary vein on postoperative day 4. Anti-coagulation therapy was begun immediately and continued for 3 months. She was free of complications 7 months after the operation.
PVT and cerebral infarction may occur after VATS-LUL. Appropriate postoperative management is required to recognize PVT and to prevent life-threatening stroke.
About The Expert
Yosuke Fujii
Yumiko Mori
Kei Kambara
Kiichi Hirota
Masashi Yanada
Shogo Toda
Mitsuko Hashiguchi
References
PubMed