Conservative management of postoperative bronchopleural fistula in elderly lung cancer patient: a case report with literature review

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after thoracic surgery is a rare but highly lethal complication due to the tricky nature of its treatment. We reported a case of BPF after pulmonary surgery and a satisfactory outcome with conservative measures such as continuous closed-chest drainage, strong nutritional support, and appropriate antibiotics. In highly selected patients with stable hemodynamics, adequate drainage, and controlled infection, conservative management may be considered when surgical or endoscopic options are contraindicated or declined.