Materials and Methods: Medical records of 13 patients operated between January 2001 and July 2017, and who were diagnosed with chylothorax in the post-operative period, were retrospectively evaluated. Patients" demographic features, type of surgeries, results of histopathological examination, day of chylothorax diagnosis, and treatment results were recorded.

Results: Eight male patients (61.5%) and 5 female patients (38.5%) were included in the study. Chylothorax developed after lobectomy in 9 patients (62.23%), total pleurectomy in 2 patients (15.38%), bilobectomy in 1 patient (7.69%), and pneumonectomy in 1 patient (7.69%). Oral nutrition was discontinued immediately after chylothorax diagnosis, and patients were followed-up with parenteral nutrition. A conservative approach was used in 11 patients (84.61%). Two patients (15.39%) did not respond to medical treatment, and underwent surgery. All patients were successfully treated chylothorax.

Conclusions: Chylothorax is a rare but serious post-operative complication after thoracic surgeries. While appropriate conservative treatment leads to recovery in majority of the cases, surgery remains an important option for patients with prolonged drainage and persistent disease. Keywords : Chylothorax, thoracic surgery, complication