RESUMEN
Prolonged air leak is one of the most common postoperative complications in thoracic surgery. For elective partial lung resections, postoperative air leak lasting longer than 5â-â7 days is arbitrarily defined as prolonged. There are several predictive factors for the development of prolonged air leak that can be subdivided as either preoperative, such as obstructive pulmonary disease, or intraoperative risk factors, such as pleural adhesions or fused fissures. The treatment of postoperative prolonged air leak is performed on an individual basis for each patient and may vary considerably. Four major treatment options can be varied in sequence and use: intensified conservative therapy, installation of sclerosing agents or autologous blood, endoscopic procedures and surgical revision. Prevention, detection and treatment of postoperative prolonged air leak are common aspects of thoracic surgery with high clinical relevance. In contrast to standardised procedures in risk identification and diagnostic work-up, the treatment of prolonged air leak is performed on an individual basis and requires a great deal of surgical expertise. For effective targeted therapy, it seems advisable to agree on a specific standardised therapy sequence within a clinic.