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Pulmonary vein thrombosis and cerebral infarction are rare but critical complications after video-assisted thoracic surgery.
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Pulmonary vein thrombosis and subsequent cerebral infarction are rare but life-threatening complications of VATS-LUL, highlighting the potential utility of routine postoperative contrast-enhanced CT for early detection and anticoagulation.
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) and cerebral infarction are rare but critical complications after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). CASE PRESENTATION: 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. CONCLUSION: PVT and cerebral infarction may occur after VATS-LUL. Appropriate postoperative management is required to recognize PVT and to prevent life-threatening stroke.
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Fujii et al. (2020) studied this question.
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