Morphological assessment of different ways of bronchial stump closure after pneumonectomy.

A method is developed to close the stump of the primary bronchus by outer compression with a shape-memory device. The process of bronchial stump healing under compression suture was morphologically examined. The novel method was compared with the routine Sweet-type hand-operated and the mechanical sutures. The compression suture heals the stump by primary intention with restoration of the typical airway epithelium on the stump bottom and prevention of the development of the bronchial fistulas.