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Purpose: This study investigated the effects of ice cream consumption on chyle leakage after left lateral neck dissection in patients with thyroid cancer. Methods: A total of 491 patients with thyroid cancer underwent left lateral neck dissection with identification of the thoracic duct following ice cream consumption. Before closing the wound, the anesthesiologist increased the intrathoracic pressure to observe chyle leakage. If chyle leakage occurred postoperatively, the drain was removed using the drain negative pressure release test. Results: Postoperative chyle leakage was observed in 18 of the 491 patients who underwent left lateral neck dissection. We treated 17 patients conservatively and 1 patient surgically. Drains were removed within five days in all patients. After the drain negative pressure release test had been performed in eight patients, the drainage volume significantly decreased from an average of 175 ml to 31 ml per day. The average number of days until the removal of the drainage tube was 3.2 days. No perioperative complications were associated with ice cream consumption. Conclusions: In left lateral neck dissection for thyroid cancer, performing surgery following ice cream consumption does not completely prevent chyle leakage; however, early drain removal is possible because there is only mild leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Chyle leakage (CL) is a common complication in pancreatic surgery. Lymphangiography is a therapeutic option for CL in cases of conservative treatment failure. This study investigated the effect of lymphangiography on the healing time of CL. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 283 patients who underwent pancreatic resection between January 2016 and June 2022. The risk factors for CL and the treatment period were evaluated according to whether or not lymphangiography was performed. Results: Of the 29 patients (10.2%) that had CL, lymphangiography was performed in 6. Malignant disease, the number of harvested lymph nodes, and drain fluid volume on postoperative day 2 were identified as independent risk factors for CL. Lymphangiography was associated with the cumulative healing rate of CL, and patients who underwent lymphangiography had a significantly shorter treatment period. No lymphangiography-related adverse events were observed. Conclusion: Lymphangiography is a feasible and safe treatment option for CL. The CL treatment period after pancreatic surgery was significantly shorter in patients who underwent lymphangiography than in those who did not. Our results suggest that lymphangiography may contribute to early improvement of persistent CL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Chyle leakage is a rare postoperative complication of breast cancer, and conservative treatments should be prioritized, with careful monitoring of drainage volume and timely surgical intervention when conservative treatments are ineffective. Chyle leaks following surgery for breast cancer are seldom encountered. Management varies with no consensus in the literature. This paper reports a case of a chylous leak after axillary dissection in a patient with breast cancer eventually cured with conservative treatment and discusses management options varied with both conservative and surgical options available to clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message Chyle leakage is a rare postoperative complication of breast cancer, and conservative treatments should be prioritized, with careful monitoring of drainage volume and timely surgical intervention when conservative treatments are ineffective. Abstract Chyle leaks following surgery for breast cancer are seldom encountered. Management varies with no consensus in the literature. This paper reports a case of a chylous leak after axillary dissection in a patient with breast cancer eventually cured with conservative treatment and discusses management options varied with both conservative and surgical options available to clinicians.

Congenital chylous ascites (CCA) is a rare cause of ascites in newborn infants. The main causes include congenital lymphatic obstruction due to atresia or stenosis of the major lacteals, mesenteric cysts and lymphangiomatosis. The mainstay of treatment for CCA is conservative management including medium-chain triglycerides (MCT)-based diet or total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and the addition of octreotide. Surgical exploration is reserved for those cases in whom conservative management has failed. The core problem of chylous abdominal surgery is to find the leakage; once the exact chylous leakage is found, the problem will be solved. The authors used a new carbon nanopartides material to accurately locate the location of chylous leakage. The operation is simple and fast, easy to use, and the effect is remarkable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative chyle leakage (CL) is a rare but severe complication after neck dissection, and most patients with this complication can be treated conservatively. However, in patients with high-flow leakage, efficient and well-tolerated conservative treatment options are still lacking, and the treatments can be complicated. In this study, we report a case with CL of 1100 ml/day after neck dissection that was successfully treated by balloon compression.

Background Early oral intake is strongly recommended according to the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines because it can reduce complications and improve recovery. However, early oral intake has been indicated to be associated with chyle leakage (CL) after pancreatic surgery, which may lead to worsening of existing malnutrition and impeded recovery. This study investigated the relationship between early oral intake and CL and identified risk factors for CL to reduce its occurrence and promote recovery after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Materials and Methods All patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between June 2014 and June 2018 were identified retrospectively. Patients were divided into the early-oral-intake and control groups according to whether they had early oral intake according to ERAS protocols. CL and other clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Univariable and multivariable analyses assessed CL risk factors. Results Early oral intake improved recovery, leading to a shorter postoperative hospital stay for the early-oral-intake group in comparison to that of the control group [13.6 (range, 12–68) vs. 17.8 (range, 14–83) days; p = 0.047] without increasing the incidence of CL and other complications. CL was diagnosed significantly earlier in the early-oral-intake group than in the control group [4.6 (range 3–5) vs. 6.7 (range 3–9) days; p = 0.001]. Early oral intake did not increase the grade severity (p = 0.845) or the costs (p = 0.241) or prolong postoperative hospital stays (p = 0.611). A primary diagnosis of malignancy, para-aortic lymph node dissection, lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastases, the number of harvested nodes, and the number of positive nodes were significantly associated with CL (p

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of thoracic duct embolization (TDE) on the management of postoperative chyle leakage. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical record database of 4171 patients who underwent curative resection for lung or esophageal cancer between January 2015 and June 2017. We classified the period before the introduction of TDE as the first period and the period after the introduction of TDE as the second period. Results A total of 105 patients who developed chyle leakage after surgery were included. In the first period, 49 patients who underwent lung surgery developed chylothorax. Of those, two patients (4.1%) underwent surgical ligation of the thoracic duct (TD). Of eight patients with chyle leakage after esophagectomy, four patients (50%) underwent TD ligation. In the second period, 30 patients developed postoperative chyle leakage after pulmonary resection. Only one (3.3%) of them required surgical ligation. Of eight patients with chyle leakage after esophagectomy, only two (11.1%) patients underwent TD ligation. Five patients (16.7%) received TDE after lung surgery and five patients (27.7%) after esophageal surgery. Also, in the second period, the hospital stay of patients who underwent lung cancer surgery was shorter than the first period (12.6 ± 4.6 days vs. 16.3 ± 9.7 days; p = 0.026). Conclusions TDE is an effective method for the management of chyle leakage and might help to avoid invasive surgery.

Abstract Protein‐losing enteropathy and chyle leakage may lead to severe malnutrition in heart transplantation for failing Fontan. Nutritional management may be challenging from defining nutrient needs to diagnosis of malnutrition enteropathy, and expertise is necessary. Body composition and hematological nutritional indices may help define malnutrition severity and guide nutritional strategy.

Surgeons recommend dissecting lymph nodes in the thorax, abdomen, and neck during surgery for esophageal cancer because of the possibility of metastasis to the lymph nodes in those areas through the lymphatic plexus of the esophageal submucosal layer. Exten-sive lymph node dissection is essential for accurate staging and is thought to improve sur-vival. However, it can result in several complications, including chyle leakage, which refers to continuous lymphatic fluid leakage and can occur in the thorax, abdomen, and neck. Malnutrition, fluid imbalance, and immune compromise may result from chyle leakage, which can be potentially life-threatening if it persists. Therefore, various treatment meth-ods, including conservative treatment, pharmacological treatment such as octreotide in-fusion, and interventions such as thoracic duct embolization and surgical thoracic duct li-gation, have been applied. In this article, the risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment methods of chyle leakage after esophagectomy are reviewed.

Abstract Background Chyle leakage is a well-known complication after thoracic surgery, such as esophagectomy, cardiac surgery, mediastinal lymph node dissection, and neck surgery. However, chyle leakage is a rare complication after dissections of the lateral or subclavian axillary nodes for breast surgery. It is particularly unusual for chyle leakage to occur after minimally invasive dissection of the axillary nodes. Most cases of chyle leakage subside with conservative management, but some cases require surgery. Case report An 80-year-old woman had invasive lobular cancer of the left breast (cT1 [1.7 cm], cN0, M0) for which she underwent breast-conservative surgery and biopsy of an axillary sentinel lymph node. Because two of the three sentinel lymph nodes tested positive for cancer, seven lateral axillary lymph nodes (level I) were subsequently removed for the additional sampling. On postoperative day 11, the patient visited our outpatient clinic because of swelling in her left axillary region and breast. Centesis of the axilla yielded 670 mL of milky fluid, which suggested chyle leakage. We commenced the conservative management at first; however, the persistent leakage made us perform the surgical management. The operation was not only ligating the opening of the chyle duct but needed total mastectomy because the postoperative pathology report showed invasive lobular carcinoma; the nipple and the caudal surgical margin of the lumpectomy were positive for cancer. The patient agreed to our recommendation of total mastectomy and surgical management of the chyle leakage. Ligation of the opening completely resolved the chylous discharge. Conclusion We here report a case of large-volume leakage of chyle after sampling dissection of the lateral axillary lymph nodes for left breast cancer; the leakage persisted despite the standard conservative therapy but was resolved after surgical treatment. Chyle leakage can occur even after minimally invasive dissection of the axillary nodes.

Early oral intake is strongly recommended according to the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines because it can reduce complications and improve recovery. However, early oral intake has been indicated to be associated with chyle leakage (CL) after pancreatic surgery, which may lead to worsening of existing malnutrition and impeded recovery. This study investigated the relationship between early oral intake and CL and identified risk factors for CL to reduce its occurrence and promote recovery after pancreaticoduodenectomy. All patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between June 2014 and June 2018 were identified retrospectively. Patients were divided into the early-oral-intake and control groups according to whether they had early oral intake according to ERAS protocols. CL and other clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Univariable and multivariable analyses assessed CL risk factors. Early oral intake improved recovery, leading to a shorter postoperative hospital stay for the early-oral-intake group in comparison to that of the control group [13.6 (range, 12–68) vs. 17.8 (range, 14–83) days; p = 0.047] without increasing the incidence of CL and other complications. CL was diagnosed significantly earlier in the early-oral-intake group than in the control group [4.6 (range 3–5) vs. 6.7 (range 3–9) days; p = 0.001]. Early oral intake did not increase the grade severity (p = 0.845) or the costs (p = 0.241) or prolong postoperative hospital stays (p = 0.611). A primary diagnosis of malignancy, para-aortic lymph node dissection, lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastases, the number of harvested nodes, and the number of positive nodes were significantly associated with CL (p < 0.05), whereas early oral intake was not (p = 0.525). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that para-aortic lymph node dissection (p = 0.039) and the number of harvested nodes (p = 0.001) were independent risk variables. This study provides significant evidence that early oral intake after pancreaticoduodenectomy is not associated with CL. The identification of the independent risk factors for CL can help prevent it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complication of chyle leakage is rare post mastectomy, ranging from 0.36 - 0.84%. This case report discuses a rare case of chylous leakage post mastectomy in a 79-year-old female. The complication was suspected when the draining colour of axillary drainage change from serous fluid to milky colour, diagnosis then confirmed clinically and biochemically as chyle. The patient was initially managed conservatively, but this was not successful and was referred to an interventional radiology for lymphangiogram and embolization. Percutaneous lipiodol embolization was performed with immediate success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of thoracic duct embolization (TDE) on the management of postoperative chyle leakage. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical record database of 4171 patients who underwent curative resection for lung or esophageal cancer between January 2015 and June 2017. We classified the period before the introduction of TDE as the first period and the period after the introduction of TDE as the second period. Results: A total of 105 patients who developed chyle leakage after surgery were included. In the first period, 49 patients who underwent lung surgery developed chylothorax. Of those, two patients (4.1%) underwent surgical ligation of the thoracic duct (TD). Of eight patients with chyle leakage after esophagectomy, four patients (50%) underwent TD ligation. In the second period, 30 patients developed postoperative chyle leakage after pulmonary resection. Only one (3.3%) of them required surgical ligation. Of eight patients with chyle leakage after esophagectomy, only two (11.1%) patients underwent TD ligation. Five patients (16.7%) received TDE after lung surgery and five patients (27.7%) after esophageal surgery. Also, in the second period, the hospital stay of patients who underwent lung cancer surgery was shorter than the first period (12.6 ± 4.6 days vs. 16.3 ± 9.7 days; p = 0.026). Conclusions: TDE is an effective method for the management of chyle leakage and might help to avoid invasive surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chyle leakage can be caused by abdominal surgery and managed successfully without surgical treatment; however, no preventive measures are available. Therefore, we introduce a new method to prevent post-operative chyle leakage. To investigate the role of indocyanine green (ICG) lymphangiography in the reduction of chyle fistula formation after radical resection of right colon cancer. Five patients with a diagnosis of right colon cancer undergoing laparoscopic radical colectomy with D3 lymph node dissection were examined in this study. At the end of the operation, two points of 2.5 mg ICG were injected subserosally at the proximal end of the anastomosis (1 ml per point). Then the surgical field was screened by using ICG fluorescence to accurately locate the chyle leakage. Chyle leakage was noted and repaired with a Hem-O-Lock. The volume of output of each drain after surgery was measured daily until the patients were discharged. We were able to observe ICG fluorescence in the lymphatic vessels within 3 minutes of ICG injection. This visualization allowed us to accurately locate and quickly repair chyle leakage within 5 minutes. Clinical observation after surgery and at a 1-month follow-up showed no chyle leakage in all 5 patients. Indocyanine green lymphangiography can feasibly guide the location and repair of chyle leakage after right colon cancer resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein‐losing enteropathy and chyle leakage may lead to severe malnutrition in heart transplantation for failing Fontan. Nutritional management may be challenging from defining nutrient needs to diagnosis of malnutrition enteropathy, and expertise is necessary. Body composition and hematological nutritional indices may help define malnutrition severity and guide nutritional strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chyle leakage is a well-known complication after thoracic surgery, such as esophagectomy, cardiac surgery, mediastinal lymph node dissection, and neck surgery. However, chyle leakage is a rare complication after dissections of the lateral or subclavian axillary nodes for breast surgery. It is particularly unusual for chyle leakage to occur after minimally invasive dissection of the axillary nodes. Most cases of chyle leakage subside with conservative management, but some cases require surgery. Case report: An 80-year-old woman had invasive lobular cancer of the left breast (cT1 [1.7 cm], cN0, M0) for which she underwent breast-conservative surgery and biopsy of an axillary sentinel lymph node. Because two of the three sentinel lymph nodes tested positive for cancer, seven lateral axillary lymph nodes (level I) were subsequently removed for the additional sampling. On postoperative day 11, the patient visited our outpatient clinic because of swelling in her left axillary region and breast. Centesis of the axilla yielded 670 mL of milky fluid, which suggested chyle leakage. We commenced the conservative management at first; however, the persistent leakage made us perform the surgical management. The operation was not only ligating the opening of the chyle duct but needed total mastectomy because the postoperative pathology report showed invasive lobular carcinoma; the nipple and the caudal surgical margin of the lumpectomy were positive for cancer. The patient agreed to our recommendation of total mastectomy and surgical management of the chyle leakage. Ligation of the opening completely resolved the chylous discharge. Conclusion: We here report a case of large-volume leakage of chyle after sampling dissection of the lateral axillary lymph nodes for left breast cancer; the leakage persisted despite the standard conservative therapy but was resolved after surgical treatment. Chyle leakage can occur even after minimally invasive dissection of the axillary nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intranodal lymphangiography and thoracic duct embolization (TDE) for chyle leakage (CL) after thyroid surgery., Materials and Methods: Fourteen patients who underwent intranodal lymphangiography and TDE for CL after thyroid surgery were included in this retrospective study. Among the 14 patients, 13 underwent bilateral total thyroidectomy with neck dissection (central compartment neck dissection [CCND], n = 13; left modified radical neck dissection (MRND), n = 11; bilateral MRND, n = 2), and one patient underwent left hemithyroidectomy with CCND. Ten patients (76.9%) had high-output CL (> 500 mL/d). Before the procedure, surgical intervention was attempted in three patients (thoracic duct ligation, n = 1; lymphatic leakage site ligation, n = 2). Lymphangiographic findings, technical and clinical successes, and complications were analyzed. Technical success was defined as the successful embolization of the thoracic duct after access to the lymphatic duct via the transabdominal route. Clinical success was defined as the resolution of CL or surgical drain removal., Results: On lymphangiography, ethiodized oil leakage near the surgical bed was identified in 12 of 14 patients (85.7%). The technical success rate of TDE was 78.6% (11/14). Transabdominal antegrade access was not feasible due to the inability to visualize the identifiable cisterna chyli or a prominent lumbar lymphatic duct. Among patients who underwent a technically successful TDE, the clinical success rate was 90.1% (10/11). The median time from the procedure to drain removal was 3 days (with a range of 1-13 days) for the 13 patients who underwent surgical drainage. No CL recurrence was observed during the follow-up period (ranging from 2-44 months; median, 8 months). There were no complications, except for one case of chylothorax that developed after TDE., Conclusion: TDE appears to be a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment option for CL after thyroid surgery, with acceptable technical and clinical success rates., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Korean Society of Radiology.)

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and pattern of chyle leakage after thyroidectomy and/or cervical lymph node dissection and to establish management protocols for chyle leakage. Methods Patients who underwent surgical management for thyroid cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Results For this study, 131 patients with chyle leakage were identified; the overall incidence was 0.9%. Of them, 43.7% of patients underwent central neck dissection without lateral neck dissection, and chyle leakage was easily controlled with conservative management. Patients whose chyle drainage was reduced by >50% after dietary modification had a significantly shorter hospital stay ( P < .001); NPO was the most effective dietary modification. Conclusion The occurrence of chyle leakage after central compartment dissection even without lateral neck dissection was not rare, but was easily controlled with conservative management. Surgical management should be considered if the drainage amount does not decrease by >50% of the original amount of the day of detection after 2 days of NPO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message Therapeutic lipiodol lymphangiography for postoperative chyle leakage due to lymph duct damage has recently been attracting attention. Lymph duct puncture is technically complex and difficult. Lymphangiography and sclerotherapy can be easily applied by cannulation with a catheter for the neonatal central vein to the lymph duct under a microscope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Negative pressure drainage has been shown to be an effective treatment of chyle fistula. However, the optimal level of negative pressure has not been determined. We therefore conducted a prospective randomized trial to address this issue. Methods In all, 21 patients with chyle fistula were randomly assigned to a high negative pressure suction (HNPS) group (−600 mmHg, n = 10) or low negative pressure suction (LNPS) group (−125 mmHg, n = 11). The duration of drain leakage and hospital stay, and the incidence of complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results All patients were successfully treated with conservative management without surgical intervention. The median durations of chyle leakage and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the HNPS group compared with the LNPS group: 4 versus 7 days ( p = .0048) and 5 versus 11 days ( p = .0107), respectively. Conclusions Negative suction was demonstrated to be highly effective in the management of chyle fistula, and HNPS appeared to be more efficient than LNPS. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Postoperative lymphatic leakage following thyroid surgery represents a management problem with considerate potential morbidity, psychological, and economical impact. Conservative and surgical management strategies for high- and low-output lymph fistulas are inconsistent. Reliable criteria to predict outcome of conservative versus surgical treatment in clinically evident lymph fistula are lacking. Material and methods: A retrospective single-center chart review of consecutively quality-control-documented thyroid surgeries from January 1998 to December 2009 was performed to identify reported postoperative lymph fistulas. Documentation of surgical procedures, drainage, medical, and nutritional management was analyzed to identify risk factors for occurrence and criteria for management of evident lymph fistulas. Results: There were 29 patients identified with postoperative clinical evidence of lymph fistulas following thyroid surgery; incidence was 0.5%. Indication to surgery comprised benign nodular goiter, recurrent nodular goiter, and thyroid carcinoma or local and lymphonodal carcinoma recurrences. There were 12 (41%) primary and 17 (59%) redo surgeries performed. Surgical procedures performed included thyroidectomy, completion thyroidectomy, and primary and redo central and lateral systematic microdissection of lymphatic compartments. All patients were initially submitted to fasting diet and medical treatment, successfully in 19 (66%), whereas ten (34%) patients underwent surgical intervention for fistula closure after failure of conservative treatment. Complications were one wound infection and fistula recurrence in five (26%) patients in the conservative group and two (20%) in the surgical group. Hospital stay was exceedingly prolonged in both groups with a median of 21 and 11 versus 6 days in patients with regular postoperative course following thyroid surgery. Conclusions: Data of this series support definition of the two categories of high- and low-output fistulas according to drainage collection with >300 versus <200 ml/day. Fasting in low-output fistula facilitates conservative treatment with closed drainage, whereas in high-output fistulas surgical intervention should be sought. Attendant criteria for treatment stratification are equally important, like patient's compliance, nutritional, and general health status as well as evidence for wound infection. Surgical closure of lymph fistula may be demanding when identification of the secreting fistula is limited and even muscle flap fortification may fail. Ultimately, in unsuccessfully reoperated fistula recurrences, open drainage may become necessary. Lymph fistulas cause significantly prolonged hospital stay, possible critical clinical decay, and unfavorable cosmetic and oncologic outcome while the superior management remains to be defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chyle leakage is an uncommon complication of lateral neck dissection for metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). There have been no reports on chyle leakage after central neck dissection not combined with lateral neck dissection. We therefore investigated chyle leakage in PTC patients undergoing thyroidectomy and central neck dissection. A total of 283 new patients with differentiated PTC underwent total thyroidectomy plus central neck dissection. The amount and duration of drain leakage, and the concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol in drain fluid and serum were measured in patients who had suspected postoperative chyle leakage. The incidence and management of chyle leakage were analyzed. Intraoperative chyle leakage was not found in any patient, although postoperative leakage was detected in four patients (1.4%). Mean ± standard deviation peak 24-hour drainage was 122 ± 57 mL, and duration of leakage was 10 ± 7 days. Mean triglyceride concentration of drainage fluid was 433 ± 182 mg/dL. These patients were treated with pressure dressings and a medium-chain triglyceride diet. One patient underwent intralesional injection of OK-432 for localized chyle accumulation. All chyle leakages stopped after conservative management without surgical intervention. Chyle leakage can occur after thyroidectomy and central neck dissection not combined with lateral neck dissection. These findings will aid in the recognition and treatment of this uncommon complication during the early postoperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral neck dissection for metastatic thyroid cancer includes the lower jugular nodes, but there has been little study of chyle leakage. We therefore prospectively examined chyle leakage that occurred during and after lateral neck dissection in treatment of thyroid cancer. A total of 82 consecutive patients underwent 96 lateral neck dissections for metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer—42 in the right neck, 26 in the left neck, and 14 in both. All patients were monitored for intraoperative and postoperative chyle leakage. All postoperative drainage fluid and serum were chemically analyzed for triglycerides and cholesterol for early identification of chyle leakage. Intraoperative chyle leakage was observed during 5 of the 96 neck dissections (5.2%), all on the left side and all controlled by suturing chyle fistula, thus avoiding postoperative leakage. Postoperative chyle leakage was observed in 8 of the 96 neck dissections (8.3%), 5 in the right and 3 in the left neck. The mean peak triglyceride concentration of drainage fluid was significantly higher in patients with chyle leakage than in those without (309 vs 42 mg/dl, P < 0.001). To stop leakage, 2 patients underwent reoperations. Chyle leakage stopped within 5–62 days (mean 18 days) after surgery. Chyle leakage related to lateral neck dissection for thyroid cancer is uncommon but may occur more frequently than reported previously, even in the right neck. Our findings may guide thyroid surgeons in both careful neck dissection in at-risk areas and proper postoperative management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chyle leakage from the chest after extended esophagectomy originating from the abdomen is a rare complication with various clinical presentations and treatments. Methods: Two cases of chylothorax originating from the abdomen are discussed and the literature concerning diagnosis, management and outcome is reviewed. Results and Conclusion: Initially conservative measures should be installed; however, prolonged conservative treatment should be avoided. Reoperation gives an opportunity to identify the leak. If the leakage originates from the abdomen, compartimentalization is the essential step to solve the problem. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietitians at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital encountering the problem of chyle leakage found a lack of information regarding its dietetic management. This study was undertaken to review the literature and to survey current dietetic practice and medical opinion in the UK. Methods: A postal survey of dietitians and clinicians in relevant specialities at hospitals involved in the clinical training of dietetic students (n=110) was undertaken. The dietitians’ questionnaire examined knowledge and experience of chyle leakage, types of patients treated, dietary therapies employed, responsibilities for prescriptions and outcomes. A different questionnaire was used to assess clinician's opinions on appropriate management. Results: A link between the origin of chyle leakage and the effectiveness of conservative management became apparent from the literature review. Conservative management appears to be most effective in chyle leakage associated with head and neck surgery, and least effective when chyle leakage is associated with malignancy. Completed questionnaires were received from 336 dietitians in 90 training departments and 132 clinicians. Dietitians reported the use of a number of dietary therapies, including low-fat diets. These ranged from minimal long chain triglycerides (LCT) to ‘standard‘ low-fat diets. These were sometimes used in conjunction with medium chain triglycerides (MCT). The use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) was also reported, either alone or in combination with a ‘low-fat diet‘. No clear pattern emerged as to when a particular therapy was indicated or should be revised. More than 70% of respondents to the medical survey considered there to be a role for conservative management in the treatment of chyle leakage. TPN appeared to be slightly favoured over minimal-fat (LCT) diet. Dietitians are hampered by the lack of consensus about the optimum nutritional therapy for this condition. This was reflected... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa injection (PAI) has been proven effective against chylous fistula but not in decreasing drainage after lateral neck dissection (LND). To verify the safety of spraying PAI onto the surface of the traumatic cavity after total thyroidectomy with LND and to evaluate whether its application can reduce the drainage volume., Methods: A total of 85 patients with metastatic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) who agreed to total thyroidectomy with unilateral LND were recruited from March 2016 to September 2017. During the operation, PAI was applied in 44 patients, while 41 remaining patients served as the control group. The thyroid function and parathyroid function, drainage volume, hospital stay, and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups., Results: The groups had few differences in age, gender, BMI, thyroid function, parathyroid function, diameter of tumor, and the number of the harvested lymph nodes. The median total drainage volume was significantly smaller and the mean hospital stay was obviously shorter in the PAI group compared to the non-PAI group. But the median volumes of peak 24-hour drainage which appeared during the first day after operation had few differences in the two groups. Postoperative fever in the PAI group was higher than in the non-PAI group. None of the patients had permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and tumor recurrence on the 12 th month after operation., Conclusions: The application of PAI to the wound cavity after LND is safe and effective for reducing the drainage volume and hospital stay., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/gs-20-731). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Gland Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Surgeons recommend dissecting lymph nodes in the thorax, abdomen, and neck during surgery for esophageal cancer because of the possibility of metastasis to the lymph nodes in those areas through the lymphatic plexus of the esophageal submucosal layer. Extensive lymph node dissection is essential for accurate staging and is thought to improve survival. However, it can result in several complications, including chyle leakage, which refers to continuous lymphatic fluid leakage and can occur in the thorax, abdomen, and neck. Malnutrition, fluid imbalance, and immune compromise may result from chyle leakage, which can be potentially life-threatening if it persists. Therefore, various treatment methods, including conservative treatment, pharmacological treatment such as octreotide infusion, and interventions such as thoracic duct embolization and surgical thoracic duct ligation, have been applied. In this article, the risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment methods of chyle leakage after esophagectomy are reviewed., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2020. All right reserved.)

Objective: Reliable methods to prevent chyle leakage after esophagectomy are needed. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the correlation between low-fat nutrition and the incidence of chyle leakage after esophagectomy., Methods: This multicenter retrospective case-control study involved patients who underwent Ivor Lewis esophagectomy from December 2012 to August 2017. Tube feeding was started on postoperative day 1 with a normal fat-containing formula (control group, 203 patients) or low fat-containing formula (241 patients)., Results: The patients in the control group and low-fat group had a similar incidence of chyle leakage (7 [3.4%] vs. 19 [9.4%], respectively) and anastomotic leakage (4 [2.0%] vs. 11 [5.4%], respectively). The multivariate logistic regression indicated that high-volume surgeon experience (performance of ≥100 esophagectomies per year) was correlated with a lower incidence of chyle leakage (odds ratio, 0.280; 95% confidence interval, 0.110-0.712), whereas low-fat nutrition was correlated with an increased risk of anastomotic leakage (odds ratio, 5.995; 95% confidence interval, 1.201-29.925)., Conclusion: Prophylactic low-fat enteral nutrition following esophagectomy might not decrease the risk of chyle leakage. More and better evidence is needed.