Abstract
Background
Postlobectomy hemorrhage is rare. The majority of the bleeding happens early after
surgery, with the median time to reoperation being 17 hours.
Case Report
A 64-year-old man with a lung nodule underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery right
upper lobectomy 3 weeks prior and presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with
acute-onset chest pain and shortness of breath in the setting of delayed hemothorax
from acute intercostal artery bleeding.
Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?
The vast majority of the patients presenting to the ED with a hemothorax have a known
history of trauma. It is important for emergency physicians to consider and recognize
hemothorax in nontraumatic patients, especially those who underwent recent lung surgeries.
Delayed postoperative hemorrhage is rare but possible, and can be life threatening.
Keywords
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References
- Incidence, aetiology and outcomes of major postoperative haemorrhage after pulmonary lobectomy.Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2020; 57: 462-470
- Postlobectomy early complications.Thorac Surg Clin. 2015; 25: 355-364
- Delayed postoperative bleeding following lobectomy caused by the sharp tip of a suture: a case report.Surg Case Rep. 2020; 6: 261
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 28, 2023
Accepted:
February 17,
2023
Received in revised form:
January 11,
2023
Received:
July 12,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
