VATS vs. IR GuidedVATS Decortication Versus IR Guided Chest Tube Insertion With Fibrinolytics for the Management of Empyema

The American Association of Thoracic Surgery defines empyema as pus in the pleural space. It is a common thoracic surgery presentation with an estimated 65,000 cases occurring annually in the United States. Despite the high prevalence of empyemas, there has been no consensus as to its optimal first line management. Methods of acceptable treatment currently include chest tube insertion (thoracostomy), thoracostomy with fibrinolytics, decortication via a thoracotomy (removal of fibrous peel on the lung) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) decortication. The investigators aim to determine the rate of re-intervention within thirty days for adults presenting with empyema in the fibrinopurulent phase by comparing the initial treatments of Interventional Radiology (IR) guided chest tube insertion with intrapleural fibrinolytics (as per Multi-Institutional Sepsis 2 Trial; MIST 2 Trial) versus VATS decortication. Currently, either of these treatments is considered first-line depending on the surgeon and institutional preference.