Introduction: Pneumonectomy remains a commonly performed procedure in thoracic and oncological surgery. The most significant surgical complication following pneumonectomy is postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula (PPBF). Mortality associated with this complication remains high, and there is no standardized approach to its management.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined treatment approach for patients with PPBF and compare its outcomes to those of conservative-endoscopic and purely conservative methods.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the outcomes of three different treatment strategies for PPBF: combined, conservative-endoscopic, and conservative. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the treatment method: Group 1 — combined approach (n=10), Group 2 — conservative-endoscopic approach (n=11), and Group 3 — conservative approach (n=14).

Results: In Group 1, mortality due to PPBF and related complications was 0%, with 80% of patients achieving complete fistula closure. In Group 2, mortality was 45.4%, and complete closure was observed in 36.4% of patients. In Group 3, mortality directly related to PPBF and associated complications reached 71.4%, with no patients achieving complete fistula closure.

Conclusions: The combined treatment approach for PPBF demonstrates superior outcomes, significantly reducing patient mortality. This method provides a real opportunity for recovery, even in cases where previous treatment attempts with alternative methods have failed.

Volodymyr V. Grubnyk is one of Ukraine’s most distinguished surgeons and medical scientists. He graduated with honors from Odesa Medical Institute in 1972 and began his career as a surgeon while pursuing scientific research. He defended his PhD thesis in 1976 on the surgical treatment of bronchial asthma, followed by his doctoral dissertation in 1988 on endoscopic hemostasis in gastrointestinal bleeding.

Since 1991, he has been Head of the Department of Surgery No. 1 at Odesa National Medical University. A pioneer of minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery in Ukraine, he introduced advanced procedures for diseases of the gallbladder, liver, esophagus, stomach, lungs, adrenal and thyroid glands starting in 1990. He has also developed innovative endoscopic and laser surgical methods recognized internationally.

He is the author of more than 800 scientific works, including 27 monographs and textbooks, and holds over 60 patents. Under his supervision, 27 PhD and 4 doctoral theses were defended. He founded the Ukrainian Association of Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Surgery, integrating Ukrainian surgeons into the European surgical community.

Honored with numerous national and international awards, He continues his clinical, teaching, and research activities, advancing modern surgical science worldwide.