Buzdar technique for staged removal of chest tubes lodged in the lung
The Buzdar Technique for Pulmonary Parenchymal Chest Tube Removal: Prospective Evaluation of a Novel Minimally Invasive Protocol
This will try the Buzdar technique — a gradual, staged removal — to take out chest tubes accidentally placed in the lung in stable adults to see if it can safely avoid major surgery.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 300 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Health Sciences Lahore Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lahore, Punjab Province) |
| Trial ID | NCT07338019 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Chest tube insertion is common but can rarely injure lung tissue (pulmonary parenchymal chest tube, PPcT), causing bleeding, prolonged air leak, or infection. The Buzdar technique is a conservative, staged withdrawal method developed at the University of Health Sciences Lahore that gradually retracts the tube under clinical and imaging surveillance rather than proceeding immediately to thoracotomy or VATS. Eligible, hemodynamically stable adults with imaging-confirmed intraparenchymal tube placement will undergo stepwise removal with serial chest X-rays or CT and close monitoring for hemorrhage or air leak. Patients who deteriorate or meet exclusion criteria will be referred for immediate surgical management.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (≥18) with imaging-confirmed intraparenchymal chest tube placement who are hemodynamically stable, do not have uncorrectable coagulopathy, and provide informed consent.
Not a fit: Patients with massive bleeding, a large bronchopleural fistula, unstable cardiopulmonary status, or uncorrectable coagulopathy are unlikely to benefit and require immediate operative management.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could let many patients avoid open or video-assisted surgery, reducing surgical risk, recovery time, and hospital resource use.
How similar studies have performed: Published literature to date reports only invasive surgical removals (thoracotomy or VATS) for PPcT, so this staged, minimally invasive technique is novel and largely untested in formal series.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients ≥18 years with confirmed intraparenchymal chest tube placement on chest CT or X-ray. * Hemodynamically stable patients suitable for conservative staged removal. * Patients providing informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients requiring immediate thoracotomy due to massive bleeding or large bronchopleural fistula. * Patients with uncorrectable coagulopathy or unstable cardiopulmonary status. * Patients refusing participation or lost to follow-up.
Where this trial is running
Lahore, Punjab Province
- Services Hospital Lahore — Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Zeeshan Sarwar, MBBS
- Email: zeeshan.sarwar195@gmail.com
- Phone: +92 3214347410
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.