This must be reported immediately to the
surgical team (Shindo and Stern 2010).
Conservative management involves continuous
drainage and reduction of chyle production
by total parental nutrition or by oral
administration of a low fat, high carbohydrate
and high protein diet. The systemic
administration of somatostatin blocks the
action of digestive secretions (gastric, biliary,
pancreatic and intestinal), reducing thoracic
duct flow and thereby assisting its closure, since
most of its circulating volume comes from
intestinal absorption (Nussenbaum et al 2000).