Digital air leaks evaluation after pulmonary resections

Long-term conditions which affect the lungs (chronic lung disease) and the airways are a growing problem worldwide. People with CLD are likely to experience breathlessness and chest pain, especially when exerting themselves, and so sufferers tend to avoid exercise. This can lead to their lung conditions getting worse, causing disability that is both a source of suffering and strain on the health services. Medication can be used to help improve the symptoms of CLD however it does not stop the disease from getting worse in the long term. Lung resection is an operation in which all or part of the lung is removed. Following this type of surgery, it is very important to maintain the correct pressure in the chest so that the lungs can inflate properly. This is done by placing tubes into the space around the lungs in the chest (pleural cavity) so that any air, blood, fluid or pus can drain out of the chest (chest drainage). Traditionally, the tube is attached to a system where the air or fluid “bubbles” through water inside (underwater seal). This underwater seal acts as a one-way valve and prevents the air or fluid from going back up into the pleural space. In recent years, some companies have developed chest drainage systems that contain a digital air leak meter. The aim of this study is to look at the performance of a digital chest drainage system compared to an underwater seal chest drainage system in patients who have had a pulmonary resection.