Successful closure of an open-window thoracostomy wound by negative-pressure wound therapy: report of a case

Negative-pressure wound therapy is a newly developed, noninvasive technique to manage a wide variety of wounds. This novel therapy was successfully used to heal the wound after open-window thoracostomy without surgical closure. A 46-year-old woman was admitted to hospital because of a painful mass on the right side of her chest. Radiological findings revealed an abscess on the right chest wall that had ruptured into the right lung and caused empyema. Antibiotic therapy did not yield sufficient improvement. Open-window thoracostomy was performed to achieve a sterile pleural space, and negative-pressure wound therapy was then applied. The pleural space was reduced, and the patient was discharged home with self-administered wound care. The wound healed completely in 5 months without any need for surgical closure.