Splenic rupture - a rare complication after thoracotomy.
Splenic rupture after thoracotomy Case Report: The authors report two cases of such a complication. In the first one, the complication was diagnosed early enough. The patient was operated on for lung cancer. Consequently, the left inferior lobectomy was performed. However, on the second postoperative day the patient became unstable. Intraabdominal bleeding was detected. Surgical treatment such as laparotomy and splenectomy was given and the patient recovered completely. In the second case thepatient was lost and the diagnosis was reached during his autopsy. He had been treated for left pleural empyema following thoracic trauma. As the drainage was inefficient, the patient was sent to surgery. Although decortication of the left lung had been successfully performed, the patient experienced hipovolemic shock 10 minutes after the procedure. He died despite the intensive care.Conclusions: The possibility of splenic rupture should be taken into consideration for unstable patients after left thoracotomy.

Keywords: horacotomy, splenic rupture, complications