Abstract
A 72-year-old man underwent post-infarction ventricular septal defect repair. Postoperatively, he required prolonged ventilation and could not be weaned from positive-pressure-assisted ventilation because of intractable bilateral pleural effusions. Conservative therapy was ineffective. After instituting pleuroperitoneal shunting, the patient could be weaned easily from a respirator.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Cimochowski
GE
Joyner
LR
Fardin
R
Sarama
R
Maran
A
. Pleuroperitoneal shunting for recalcitrant pleural effusions . J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
1986 ;92 :866 –70 .
2.
Hussain
SA
. Pleuroperitoneal shunt in recurrent pleural effusions . Ann Thorac Surg
1986 ;41 :609 –11 .
3.
Weese
JL
Schouten
JT
. Pleural peritoneal shunts for the treatment of malignant pleural effusions . Surg Gynecol Obstet
1982 ;154 :391 –2 .
4.
Little
AG
Kadowaki
MH
Ferguson
MK
Staszek
VM
Skinner
DB
. Pleuro-peritoneal shunting. Alterative therapy for pleural effusions . Ann Surg
1988 ;208 :443 –50 .
5.
Murphy
MC
Newman
BM
Rodgers
BM
. Pleuroperitoneal shunts in the management of persistent chylothorax . Ann Thorac Surg
1989 ;48 :195 –200 .
6.
McCall
E
. The use of the pleuro-peritoneal shunt . Nurs Times
1997 ;93 :62 –3 .
7.
Lopez-Viego
MA
Cornell
JM
. Pneumoperitoneum and signs of peritonitis from apleuroperitoneal shunt . Surgery
1992 ;111 :228 –9 .