[The use of a pedicled greater omentum in pneumonectomies for the prevention of bronchial fistulas].

Expanded (13) and combined (9) pneumonectomy with laparotomy and plastics of the bronchial stump with the greater omentum on a vascular pedicle were conducted on 22 patients in the period from 1988 (June) to 1990 (April). The omentum was used for the prevention of bronchial fistulas and correction of defects in the pericardium. Laparotomy and omentopexy did not aggravate the patients' condition essentially and did not affect the terms of treatment. A defect in the bronchial stump occurred only in 2 patients in the post-operative period and closed spontaneously in one of them.