A customized, covered metallic stent to repair a postoperative bronchopleural fistula: a promising endobronchial approach

The development of bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after thoracic surgery is a rare but well-known complication that is often life threatening. Although the incidence has decreased, BPFs remain a challenging management problem and are associated with high mortality. More than two decades ago, Hollaus et al. reported their 13-year experience on the outcomes of patients with BPFs developing after pneumonectomy (1).