TY - JOUR
T1 - Conservative management of an intraoperative chyle leak
T2 - A case report and literature review
AU - Meyer, Charles D.
AU - McLeod, Ian K.
AU - Gallagher, Daniel J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/9
Y1 - 2016/9
N2 - Chyle leaks are a rare but potentially fatal complication of head and neck surgery carrying an incidence as high as 8.3%. The development of a chyle leak carries significant morbidity ranging from delayed wound healing to oropharyngeal fistulas. Presented here is a case of a chyle leak that developed following a left posterolateral neck dissection that was successfully managed with a combination of drain suction, pressure dressing, and a fatrestricted diet. However, the patient’s course was complicated by repeated chyle leak recurrences that may have been associated with the initiation of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation. Although further research is required to establish a causal relationship, these findings support the concerns of other investigators about the possible counterproductive role of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation in the management of chyle leaks.
AB - Chyle leaks are a rare but potentially fatal complication of head and neck surgery carrying an incidence as high as 8.3%. The development of a chyle leak carries significant morbidity ranging from delayed wound healing to oropharyngeal fistulas. Presented here is a case of a chyle leak that developed following a left posterolateral neck dissection that was successfully managed with a combination of drain suction, pressure dressing, and a fatrestricted diet. However, the patient’s course was complicated by repeated chyle leak recurrences that may have been associated with the initiation of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation. Although further research is required to establish a causal relationship, these findings support the concerns of other investigators about the possible counterproductive role of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation in the management of chyle leaks.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84986591558&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00240
DO - 10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00240
M3 - Review article
C2 - 27612380
AN - SCOPUS:84986591558
SN - 0026-4075
VL - 181
SP - e1180-e1184
JO - Military Medicine
JF - Military Medicine
IS - 9
ER -