Clinical Experience on a Digital Low-Pressure Continuous Suction Unit Having a Trend Forecasting Function for Evaluating Lung Air-Leak

Abstract

Lung air-leak (LAL) is an unavoidable complication after thoracoscopic lung resections. Generally postoperative LALs are managed with a digital low-pressure continuous suction device (DCSD) with three bottles. Since the management is performed by information obtained visually, sharing the data among medical staff becomes difficult, resulting in an issue. Fourteen consecutive surgical cases underwent thoracoscopic lung wedge resection. Intraoperative LALs were detected in 6 patients. Immediately after surgery, as postoperative management, a DCSD was used. Postoperative LALs were found in 12 cases; the periods of drainage were 2 to 15 days with a mean of 5.0 ± 3.6 days. Twelve hours' air-bubble time before clamp test was 0.01 - 2.29 s/60 s with a mean of 0.74 ± 1.12 s/60 s. After clamp test, lung collapse identified by chest X-ray examination was found in 2 cases, and in 1 case, lung collapse was caused by sucking air through the inserting port of drain tube without LAL. In medical staff conference, necessary information was shared by using a large liquid crystal display.