The Year in Thoracic Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2017

Abstract

THIS SPECIAL ARTICLE is the second in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors would like to thank the editor-in-chief, Dr. Kaplan; the associate editor-in-chief, Dr. Augoustides; and the editorial board for the opportunity to expand this series, the research highlights of the year that specifically pertain to the specialty of thoracic anesthesia. The major themes selected for 2017 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights in this specialty for 2017 begin with attempts to develop a scale to aid in the diagnosis and surgical management of patients with low-grade esophageal carcinoma and a composite score by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database Task Force to evaluate and rate the performance and outcomes of esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. The second section highlights the recent advancements in the treatment of thymomas for both benign and malignant disease, including robotic thymectomy, and is followed by a section discussing the role of truncal regional blocks and their use in thoracic surgery, especially in combination with enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. ClinicalTrials.gov. The University of Alberta Negative Pressure Ventilation Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion (NPV-EVLP) Trial (UA NPV-EVLP). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03293043. Accessed January 17, 2018.