Methods: A total of 24 patients (17 males, 7 females; mean age 59.9±12.2 years; range, 30 to 86 years) who underwent autologous blood patch pleurodesis in our clinic between November 2015 and November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were not eligible to undergo chemical pleurodesis due to a nonexpandable lung or poor general condition. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients and postoperative data were evaluated.

Results: The air leak stopped within 48 h after autologous blood patch pleurodesis in seven patients. The air leak significantly decreased in 13 patients, while it remained unchanged in four patients. A Heimlich valve was placed in the patients in whom the air leak stopped or significantly decreased. The follow-up chest X-rays showed that the respective lungs of these patients became completely expandable.

Conclusion: Our study results suggest that the autologous blood patch procedure is a favorable option for the patients who are unable to benefit much from the conventional chemical pleurodesis methods due to contraindications to surgery or the presence of non-expandable lungs.