Clinical manifestation, risk factors and managements for postoperative chylothorax after thoracic esophagectomy

In thoracic esophagectomy, chylothorax is usually the result of unrecognized surgical injury to the main or branches of thoracic duct. Postoperative chylothorax is mostly an uncommon complication of esophagectomy and occurs only in 0.6% to 4.0% of esophagectomy (1-6). In thoracic esophagectomy, complications of chylothorax resulted in hypoproteinemia, lipid loss, and respiratory failure due to atelectasis (7-9).