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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Thorac Surg. 2012 Jan 15;93(3):897–904. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2011.10.060

Table 4. Relationship between Chylothorax-specific Postoperative Variables and Failure of Medical Management.

Variable Failed Medical Management (n=21) Successful Medical Management (n=13) p-value
Time from esophagectomy to diagnosis (days; median, IQR) 4(3-7) 7 (4-13) 0.152

Late diagnosis (More than 6 days after esophagectomy; n) 8 8 0.224

Duration of initial chest tube (days; median, IQR) 13 (4-19) 7 (5-11) 0.238

Mode of presentation (n)
Chylous chest tube output 14 7 0.055
Pleural effusion on chest x-ray 9 10 0.293

Original chest tube in place at diagnosis 12 8 0.581

Additional procedure required for diagnosis 0.859
None 9 6
Thoracentesis 3 2
Chest tube or Pigtail placement 6 6

Chest tube output on day of diagnosis (ml; median, IQR) 1298 (800-2125) 520 (384-1438) 0.050

Involved hemithorax at diagnosis
Right 8 6 0.083
Left 8 3
Bilateral 1 5

Late diagnosis (More than 6 days after esophagectomy; n, %) 8 8 0.224

Laboratory analysis of pleural drainage
Triglycerides (median, IQR) 436 (240-806) 311 (182-833) 0.518
Chylomicrons (median, IQR) 189 (123-361) 168 (66-258) 0.741

Initial Management
Nothing by mouth 17 12 0.245
Additional drain placement 8 4 0.484
Total parenteral nutrition 14 5 0.013
Change enteral feeds to elemental formula 7 7 0.842
Octreotide 5 3 0.555
Bedside pleurodesis 5 0 0.032
a

Not all criteria were in the record and able to be abstracted for every patient; reported % are based on total patients for whom the criteria was recorded