Pneumatic stabilization of iatrogenic flail chest with CPAP: a case report.

Iatrogenic flail chest following resection of part of the chest wall in postoperative patients is a challenging scenario for the anesthetist. It can lead to long term morbidity and even death, if adequate management is not instituted. We describe the management of postoperative flail chest, following resection of upper two-third of the sternum along with costal cartilages for a malignant thymoma invading the sternum in an adult male with the use of continuous epidural analgesia and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which provided pneumatic stabilization and an excellent recovery.