Conservative management of postoperative chylothorax using somatostatin

Chylothorax is a rare but serious postoperative complication of thoracic su rgical procedures. We report the case of a 77-year-old man who underwent a coronary artery bypass procedure using a left internal mammary artery pedic le graft. A permanent pacemaker was required postoperatively. A persistent postoperative chylothorax developed necessitating continuous drainage and c onservative management. Somatostatin was instituted when after 1 week this management failed to resolve the chylothorax. This led to rapid cessation o f chyle production. Enteral feeding was reinstituted without complication a nd surgical intervention was avoided. (C) 2000 by The Society of Thoracic S urgeons.