Gao Yingtong, Savonitto Elisabeth, Liang Shuyin, Wallace Alison
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street Health Sciences Addition, Room H103 London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada.
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, 1276 South Park St, Halifax, NS B3H 2Y9, Canada.
J Surg Case Rep. 2025 Jul 10;2025(7):rjaf449. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjaf449. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is widely used for treating lung cancer, but severe subcutaneous emphysema can be a rare complication, leading to distressing symptoms such as pain, temporary blindness, and voice changes. Traditional management strategies often require prolonged treatment, and blowhole incisions can result in infection and discomfort. This case series explores the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) applied via a unilateral blowhole incision to treat severe subcutaneous emphysema post-VATS lobectomy. In three cases, NPWT facilitated rapid resolution of pain, restored vision, and resolved voice changes within 8 h. No infection-related complications occurred. This approach not only accelerates recovery and alleviates patient discomfort but also reduces the burden on caregivers and healthcare teams. NPWT should be considered a valuable addition to the management of severe subcutaneous emphysema, improving patient outcomes and enhancing postoperative care.
电视辅助胸腔镜手术（VATS）肺叶切除术广泛应用于肺癌治疗，但严重皮下气肿是一种罕见的并发症，可导致疼痛、暂时性失明和声音改变等令人痛苦的症状。传统的处理策略往往需要长期治疗，而气孔切口可能导致感染和不适。本病例系列探讨了通过单侧气孔切口应用负压伤口治疗（NPWT）来治疗VATS肺叶切除术后严重皮下气肿的情况。在三例病例中，NPWT促进了疼痛的快速缓解、视力恢复以及声音改变在8小时内得到解决。未发生与感染相关的并发症。这种方法不仅加速了康复并减轻了患者的不适，还减轻了护理人员和医疗团队的负担。NPWT应被视为严重皮下气肿管理中的一项有价值的补充措施，可改善患者预后并加强术后护理。
