Duration Of Air Leak Research Articles

Optimal Chest Drainage Method After Anatomic Lung Resection: A Prospective Observational Study

BackgroundSeveral methods for chest drainage after pulmonary resection of malignant lung tumors exist, but consensus on the ideal method has not been reached. MethodsWe conducted a multicenter prospective observational study. We enrolled 2200 patients who underwent lung resection for lung tumors. Of the 1470 patients who underwent anatomic resection, 347 showed air leak on the morning of postoperative day 1. They were assigned to 3 groups according to the chest drainage method on postoperative day 1. ResultsOf 347 patients with postoperative air leaks, 107 (30.8%), 179 (51.6%), and 61 (17.6%) were assigned to water seal, continuous suction, and digital drainage, respectively. The median postoperative air leak duration was significantly longer with digital drainage (4.0 days) than with either water seal (2.5 days) or continuous suction (3.0 days; P = .009). Chest tubes were required for significantly more days on average with digital drainage (6.0 days) than with water seal (4.0 days) or continuous suction (4.0 days; P = .003). Prolongation of air leak duration was significantly more likely to occur in patients with body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3), moderate or severe air leak on postoperative day 1 (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5-2.6), or digital drainage (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.01-1.9). ConclusionsWater seal was associated with significantly shorter duration of postoperative air leak and chest drainage compared with continuous suction and digital drainage.

Effectiveness of the polyglycolic acid patch in preventing prolonged air leakage after pulmonary decortication.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an absorbable polyglycolic acid patch (PGA) in the early prevention of alveolar air leaks after pulmonary decortication operations. Between January 2016 and December 2019, files of 185 patients with pleural effusion, empyema, or hemothorax were examined retrospectively. Thirty-five patients who underwent decortication surgery were included in the study. Two-way posteroanterior (PA) chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT), pulmonary function tests (PFT), arterial blood gas, hemogram, and biochemical tests were performed for all patients before the operation. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 was composed of 16 patients (45.7%) with standard decortication, and Group 2 was formed with 19 patients (54.3%) with standard decortication + PGA patch. The median age was 55 years (minimum=25, maximum=75) and the vast majority (82.9%; n=29) of patients were males. There was no significant difference between groups in age, aetiology, or sex. The most common etiological cause in both Group 1 and Group 2 was nonspecific infection (56.3% and 73.7%, respectively). When Group 2 and Group 1 were compared regarding median times (day) of air leak cessation (Group 2=4; Group 1=8.5), chest drain removal (Group 2=5; Group 1=10), and hospital discharge times (Group 2=8; Group 1=13),the durations were statistically significantly shorter in Group 2 than in Group 1 (P < 0.001). Use of the PGA patch in pulmonary decortication operations significantly reduced the duration of air leaks, drain removal, and discharge time from the hospital in the postoperative period.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) era in surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax

Background: VATS is now regarded by many surgeons to be the gold standard in the surgical management of a variety of thoracic conditions, such as spontaneous pneumothorax (SP), pleural diseases, and indeterminate lung nodules. Aim and objectives: to describe different VATS techniques in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.Summary: Several clinical management issues remain unanswered. Firstly, the duration of prolonged air leak that warrants VATS remain controversial. Current recommendations range from five days by BTS to three days advocated by our institute with more than a decade of experience with VATS for SP. Furthermore, whether VATS should be offered to all patients with low general anesthetic risk presenting with first episode of SP is unclear. Furthermore, the evolution of surgical techniques to allow ipsilateral thoracoscopic approach to treat contralateral bullous lesion may redefine the indications for CT scan in SP. Technically, the debate will continue among the surgeons on the type of VATS procedure that will minimize pneumothorax recurrence. Most surgeons will agree that some form of bullectomy (endoscopic staple or suturing) is mandatory. However, the nature of pleurodesis (mechanical, chemical, or both) that follow is often at the discretion of the individual clinician.

Safety and efficacy of vacuum bottle plus catheter for drainage of iatrogenic pneumothorax

BackgroundIatrogenic pneumothorax is common after thoracic procedures. For patients with pneumothorax larger than 15%, simple aspiration is suggested. Although vacuum bottle plus non-tunneled catheter drainage has been performed in many institutions, its safety and efficacy remain to be assessed.MethodsThrough this prospective cohort study (NCT03724721), we evaluated the safety and efficacy of vacuum bottle plus non-tunneled catheter drainage. Patients older than 20 years old who developed post-procedural pneumothorax were enrolled. A non-tunneled catheter was placed at the intersection of the midclavicular line and the second intercostal space. A 3-way stopcock, a drainage set, and a digital pressure gauge were connected. The stopcock was manipulated to connect the pleural space to the pressure gauge for measurement of end-expiration intrapleural pressure or to the vacuum bottle for air drainage. The rate of successful drainage, the end-expiration intrapleural pressure before, during, and after the procedure and the duration of hospitalization were recorded.ResultsFrom August 2018 to February 2020, 21 patients underwent vacuum bottle plus catheter drainage (intervention group) and 31 patients received conservative treatment (control group). The end-expiration intrapleural pressure of all patients remained less than − 20 cmH2O during drainage. No procedure related complication was observed. Large pneumothorax (≥ 15%) was associated with higher risk of persistent air leak (Odds ratio 12, 95% CI 1.2–569.7). Vacuum bottle assisted air drainage yielded shorter event-free duration than that of conservative treatment (2 days vs 5 days [interquartile range 1–4 days vs 3–7 days], p < .05). Vacuum bottle assisted air drainage also help identifying patients with persistent pneumothorax and necessitate the subsequent management. The event-free duration of persistent air leak in the intervention group was also comparable with that of conservative treatment (5 days vs 5 days [interquartile range 5–8 days vs 3–7 days], p = .45).ConclusionsVacuum bottle plus catheter drainage of iatrogenic pneumothorax is a safe and efficient procedure. It may be considered as an alternative management of stable post-procedural pneumothorax with size larger than 15%.Trial registration The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of National Taiwan University Hospital (No. 201805105DINA) on 6th August, 2018. The first participant was enrolled on 23rd August, 2018 after Research Ethics Committee approval. This clinical trial complete registration at U.S. National Library of Medicine clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT03724721 and URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03724721 on 30th October, 2018.

Early outcomes of lung resections in non-small cell lung cancer after COVID-19 pneumonia

ObjectiveThere is limited literature on patients with a history of COVID-19 pneumonia who underwent anatomical lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was aimed to share the early postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent lung resection after COVID-19 pneumonia. Materials and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated 30 patients who underwent lobectomy with thoracotomy and systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection due to NSCLC in a single center between November 2018 and September 2021. The patients were divided into two groups regarding COVID-19 pneumonia history; the COVID-19 group consisted of 14 patients (46.7%) and the non-COVID-19 group 16 (53.3%) patients. The patients’ age, gender, comorbidity, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) value, tumor type and size, resection type, postoperative air leak duration, total drainage volume, drain removal time, postoperative complications, and length of stay (LOS) were recorded. Results9 (30%) patients were female, and 21 (70%) were male. The mean age was 62.1 ± 8.91 years. Our comparison of postoperative air leak duration, total drainage volume, time to drain removal, postoperative complications, and LOS between the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups revealed no statistically significant difference. ConclusionAnatomical lung resection can be performed safely in NSCLC patients with a history of COVID-19 pneumonia without significant difference in early postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Prediction of pulmonary air leak after lobectomies

The OBJECTIVE was to identify prognostic factors of long-term air leak after lobectomies based on the analysis of the main preoperative and surgical clinical and functional indicators.METHODS AND MATERIALS. A retrospective study included 71 patients who underwent lung resection in the volume of lobectomy for lung cancer. The patients were divided into three groups - group 1 (n=42, 59 %) - air leak through the drains stopped within a day after surgery; group 2 (n=10, 14 %) - the duration of air leak from the pleural cavity from 1 to 5 days; group 3 (n=19, 27 %) the duration of air leak more than 5 days after surgery.RESULTS. The average values of the main clinical, surgical and functional indicators, such as the frequency of concomitant COPD, the severity of its course, smoking status, access (thoracotomy / thoracoscopy) in the three groups were almost the same. The difference in the average value of DLCO was characterized by the greatest tendency to reliability: the longer the pulmonary air leak was, the lower the values of this indicator turned out to be. Correlation analysis revealed a noticeable feedback between the long-term pulmonary air leak and the preoperative level of FEV1 (r=-0.59), a direct relationship between the level of FEV1 and DLCO (r=0.51), as well as a noticeable feedback between the long-term pulmonary air leak and the level of DLCO (r=-0.61) and a direct moderate relationship between the pulmonary air leak and the time spent on the stair climbing test (r=0.38).CONCLUSIONS. The combination of a low level of FEV1, a low level of DLCO and a long duration of the stair climbing test makes it possible to assess the risk of prolonged pulmonary air leak as significant and take this into account during the surgical intervention.

Control of air leakage during pleurectomy/decortication by the ventilation and anchoring method.

We previously established a novel method of lung repair called the ventilation and anchoring (V/A) method. We evaluated the usefulness of the V/A method for controlling air leakage during pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). For this study, we enrolled patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) who planned to receive P/D. Our lung repair method involves (1) suturing lung parenchyma for an apparent injured lesion and (2) coating the lung parenchyma with fibrin glue (FG) using the V/A method. The tidal volume (TV) was measured under pressure-controlled ventilation in the ipsilateral-affected lung 10 times at the following four points: after thoracotomy, at completion of visceral pleurectomy, after suturing lung parenchyma, and 5min after coating with FG. The primary endpoint was the mean TV (mTV) change, and the secondary endpoints were the duration of air leakage and incidence of pleurodesis. Between April 2014 and April 2016, 25 patients of the 29 consecutive patients enrolled were eligible. The mTV significantly decreased after completion of visceral pleurectomy but significantly increased after repair of the lung parenchyma, especially after coating with FG. The median duration of postoperative air leakage was 4days (range: 2-19days). Postoperative air leakage > 7days was observed in 11 (44%) patients. Of these 11 patients, 6 received pleurodesis; however, no further revision was needed. Significant increases in TV were observed after coating with FG via the V/A method during P/D. Coating with FG using the V/A method can contribute to a reduction in air leakage during P/D.

Effects of Different Treatment Regimens on Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

The best treatment strategy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax is controversial and varies widely in practice. Literatures were searched from databases till 24 August 2021. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the outcomes of various treatments with the following endpoints: recurrence rate, postoperative chest tube duration, postoperative air leakage duration, length of hospital stay, and complications rate. In all, 7210 patients of 20 randomized controlled trials and 17 cohort studies were included. Surgery had a significantly lower recurrence rate compared to other treatments. Besides, bullectomy (BT) combined with chemical pleurodesis (CP), mechanical pleurodesis, or staple line coverage (SLC) can reduce the recurrence rate compared to BT alone, but none of them were statistically significant. In terms of reducing chest tube duration, BT with tubular Neoveil outperformed BT + pleural abrasion (mean difference [MD], 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.5 [-4.63, -0.35]) and BT + apical pleurectomy (MD, 95% CI: -2.72 [-5.16, -0.27]). Surgical methods were superior to manual aspiration (MA), chest tube drainage (CTD), and conservative treatment in terms of recurrence reduction. There was no significant difference between MA and CTD in reducing the recurrence rate. Among surgical methods, CP is more effective than mechanical pleurodesis and SLC among the additional procedures based on BT.

Early Postoperative Results of Patients Undergoing Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy and Their Assessment with The Systemic Inflammation Scoring System

Background &amp; Aim: Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (u-VATS) is a minimally invasive approach that allows thoracic operations to be performed through a single small incision of approximately 4 cm. The Systemic Inflammation Score (SIS) is a scoring system that can be measured easily and inexpensively in routine clinical practice and consists of three laboratory parameters, which are serum albumin level, lymphocyte count, and monocyte count. Scoring systems can provide low-cost and easily attainable objective information that can assist surgeons in evaluating patients. The aim of this study was to examine the early postoperative results of patients who underwent u-VATS lobectomy and to evaluate the relationship of these results with the systemic inflammation scoring system. Methods: Age, gender, smoking habits, preoperative lymphocyte and monocyte counts, preoperative albumin values, comorbidities, operative times, length of hospital stay, chest tube removal time, duration of air leak, amount of drainage, and postoperative complications of patients who underwent u-VATS lobectomy operation in our clinic between March 2018 and March 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified by the SIS based on preoperative serum albumin (ALB) level and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) as follows: SIS=0, ALB ?4.0 g/dL and LMR ?3.4; SIS=1, ALB &lt;4.0 g/dL or LMR &lt;3.4; and SIS=2, ALB &lt;4.0 g/dL and LMR &lt;3.4. Results: The number of patients who underwent u-VATS lobectomy was 42. There were 12 patients in the SIS 0 group, 19 patients in the SIS 1 group, and 11 patients in the SIS 2 group. The amount of postoperative drainage (p=0.000), chest tube removal time (p=0.006), and length of hospital stay (p=0.000) were correlated with systemic inflammatory scores of patients. The rate of developing postoperative complications was found to increase to almost a statistically significant level as the systemic inflammatory scores of patients increased (p=0.084). There was no significant difference between the SIS groups in terms of other parameters. Conclusion: Patients who underwent u-VATS lobectomy and had a high preoperative systemic inflammation score had higher amounts of postoperative drainage, longer duration of chest tube and length of hospital stay. The SIS scoring system is a simple, effective risk stratification method that can be routinely used for patients undergoing u-VATS lobectomy. Keywords: Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopy, Lobectomy, Systemic Inflammation Scoring System, Thoracic Surgery

Efficacy of Intraoperative Hypertonic Glucose Solution Administration on Persistent Air Leak After Extended Pleurectomy/Decortication for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

BackgroundPersistent air leak is a common complication occurring from 6% to 23% of cases after extended pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Treatment options for this complication after major lung resection are well documented in literature; nevertheless, lines of evidence in extended pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma are absent. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative administration of 50% hypertonic glucose solution in reducing duration of air leak following extended pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma.Materials and MethodsIn this retrospective case–control study, we analyzed our electronic health record and selected those patients with a histological diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma who underwent extended pleurectomy/decortication in the period 2013–2021. From 2018, we introduced a lavage with 500 ml of glucose solution at 50% concentration into the chest cavity at the end of the surgical procedure. Patients operated before 2018 were used as the control group. Postoperative glycemia was measured, and patients were followed after hospital discharge until the air leak resolved and the chest tube was removed. Statistical analysis was performed using R software.ResultsA total of 71 patients met our criteria. Treatment and control groups were similar for age, sex, smoking status, number of comorbidities, tumor histotype, and side of disease. Use of hypertonic glucose solution resulted in shorter chest tube maintenance after hospital discharge (p = 0.0028). A statistically significant difference (p = 0.02) was also found in postoperative glycemia between the treatment (103 g/dl ± 8.9) and control group (98.8 g/dl ± 8.6). Days of hospitalization and chest tube maintenance during hospitalization did not significantly differ between the groups.InterpretationIntraoperative administration of 50% hypertonic glucose solution reduced the duration of air leak after hospital discharge. An increase in postoperative glycemia was found in the treatment group, but with no clinical effect. Hypertonic glucose solution is an effective and safe method to manage persistent air leak after extended pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Dynamic prediction model of spontaneous combustion risk in goaf based on improved CRITIC-G2-TOPSIS method and its application.

Due to the problems related to the numerous factors affecting the spontaneous combustion of goaf coal, such as sudden, uncertain, and dynamic changes, and the fact that the weight of the indexes in the prediction model of the spontaneous combustion risk is difficult to determine, an improved Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) modified Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution G2-(TOPSIS) dynamic prediction model of goaf spontaneous combustion was developed. An optimal decision-making model was established by introducing the Euclidean distance function, and the function-driven type G2 weighting method was modified using the differential-driven type weighting method of the CRITIC. In addition, the comprehensive weights of each index were obtained. An update factor was introduced to obtain the dynamic weight, and the primary-secondary relationship of the risk factors affecting the spontaneous combustion of goaf was evaluated. Based on the G2 weighting method, which approximates the driving function principle of the ideal solution ranking method (TOPSIS), a G2-TOPSIS goaf spontaneous combustion risk assessment model was established. The degree of closeness was analyzed and the risk grade of the goaf spontaneous combustion was finally predicted. The sub-model was applied to the goaf of working face 1303 in the Jinniu Coal Mine. It was concluded that the air leakage duration was the dominant factor inducing the risk of the spontaneous combustion of the goaf. The risk grade of spontaneous combustion of the goaf is Class III, and the predicted results are consistent with the actual situation. The improved CRITIC-G2-TOPSIS dynamic model was demonstrated to be scientific in predicting the goaf spontaneous combustion risk, and these research results have important popularization and application value.

OUTCOMES OF VIDEO ASSISTED THORACOSCOPIC DECORTICATION VERSUS CONVENTIONAL OPEN DECORTICATION IN PATIENTS WITH STAGE II OR STAGE III EMPYEMA

Objective: To compare outcomes of video assisted Thoracoscopic Decortication (VATD) with conventional open decortication (COD) in patients with stage–II or stage–III empyema thoracic.&#x0D; Study Design: Prospective comparative study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from Jun 2018 to May 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: A total 60 patients underwent in this study. Patients of both gender who reported for decortication of empyema thoracic were evaluated. All patients diagnosed to have Stage II or III empyema with age 25-50 years were studied for outcomes. All patients were evaluated for operative time, blood loss, post-operative pain, pneumonitis, duration of airleak and post-operative drainage, duration of chest drains and length of hospital stay.&#x0D; Results: Mean operative time in group-1 was 133.63 ± 8.55 min and in group-2 was 147.83 ± 10.36 min (p-value 0.037). Mean blood loss in group-1 was 296.66 ± 46.11 while in group-2 was 207.30 ± 53.81. Post-operative pain score on VAS for pain was 5.8 ± 1.7 for group-1 and 4.06 ± 1.4 for group-2 (p-value 0.032). Chest tubes were retained for an average of 5.58 ± 0.8 days in group-1 while 3.86 ± 0.8 days in group-2 (p-value &lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Decortication is superior to open decortication in operative management of Stage II and Stage III Empyema thoracic in terms of post op pain, duration of chest intubation, air leak and hospital stay of the patient.

Surgical Morbidity and Lung Function Changes After Laser-Assisted Pulmonary Metastasectomy: A Prospective Bicentric Study.

Objective: The surgical resection of pulmonary metastases is associated with a survival benefit in selected patients. The use of laser devices for pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) is believed to facilitate the complete resection of metastases while preserving a maximum of healthy parenchyma. This is a prospective study to evaluate surgical outcome including the changes of lung function after laser–assisted surgery (LAS).Methods: A total of 77 operations in 61 patients in which PM was carried out in a curative intent were analyzed. A 1.320 nm diode-pumped Nd: YAG-Laser was used for resection of the metastases. Surgical and clinical data were collected using a standardized form and postoperative lung function changes 3 and 6 months after surgery were assessed using whole body plethysmography and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Size and distance of metastases to the pleural surface were measured radiologically.Results: A median of two metastases were resected per operation (range 1–13). The median duration of postoperative air leak was 1 day (range 0–11). LAS associated postoperative minor and major complications were observed in 4 (5%) cases and 1 (1%) case, respectively; there were no mortalities. The analysis of perioperative lung function showed that mean VC 3 months after surgery was reduced by 11 %, FEV1 by 11% and median DLCO by 11% (all p < 0.0001). There was almost no recovery of lung function between 3 and 6 months in the whole cohort. Patients with two or less metastases showed a recovery of lung function after 3 months regarding DLCO (p = 0.003). Decline of DLCO in the whole cohort correlated with the number of resected metastases at 3 months (r = 0.45, p = 0.006) and at 6 months (r = 0.42, p = 0.02) as well as depth of metastases in the parenchyma at 6 months (r = 0.48, p = 0.001).Conclusions: LAS is a safe and effective method for PM even for higher numbers of metastases, with short duration of postoperative air leak and little morbidity. Number and depth, but not size of metastases affect lung function changes after resection.

Persistent pulmonary air leak in the pediatric intensive care unit: Characteristics and outcomes.

Persistent air leak (PAL) complicates various lung pathologies in children. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of children hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with PAL are not well described. We aimed to elucidate the course of disease among PICU hospitalized children with PAL. A retrospective cohort study of all PICU-admitted children aged 0-18 years diagnosed with pneumothorax complicated by PAL, between January 2005 and February 2020 was conducted at a tertiary center. PAL was defined as a continuous air leak of more than 48 h. PAL complicated the course of 4.8% (38/788) of children hospitalized in the PICU with pneumothorax. Two were excluded due to missing data. Of 36 children included, PAL was secondary to bacterial pneumonia in 56%, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 31%, lung surgery in 11%, and spontaneous pneumothorax in 3%. Compared to non-ARDS causes, children with ARDS required more drains (median, range: 4, 3-11 vs. 2, 1-7; p < .001) and mechanical ventilation (100% vs. 12%; p < .001), and had a higher mortality (64% vs. 0%; p < .001). All children with bacterial pneumonia survived to discharge, with a median air leak duration of 14 days (range 3-72 days). Most of which (90%) were managed conservatively, by continuous chest drainage. Bacterial pneumonia was the leading cause of PAL in this cohort. PAL secondary to ARDS was associated with a worse outcome. In contrast, non-ARDS PAL was successfully managed conservatively, in most cases.

Low suction on digital drainage devices promptly improves post-operative air leaks following lung resection operations: a retrospective study

BackgroundWe investigated the most effective suction pressure for preventing or promptly improving postoperative air leaks on digital drainage devices after lung resection.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the postoperative data of 242 patients who were monitored with a digital drainage system after pulmonary resection in our institution between December 2017 and June 2020. We divided the patients into three groups according to the suction pressure used: A (low-pressure suction group: − 5 cm H2O), B (intermediate-pressure group: − 10 cm H2O), and C (high-pressure suction group: − 20 cm H2O). We evaluated the duration of air leaks, timing of chest tube replacement, the amount of postoperative air leak, volume of fluid drained before chest tube removal, and the total number of air leaks during drainage.ResultsIn total, 217 patients were included in this study. The duration of air leaks gradually decreased with significant difference between the groups, the highest decrease in A, the lowest decrease in C (P = 0.019). Timing of chest tube replacement, on the other hand, did not significantly differ between the three groups (P = 0.126). The number of postoperative air leaks just after surgery did not significantly differ between the three groups (P = 0.175), but the number of air leaks on postoperative day 1 were fewest in group A, then B, and greatest in group C (P = 0.033). The maximum amount of air leaks during drainage was lowest in A, then B, and highest in C (P = 0.036). Volume of fluid drained before chest tube removal did not significantly differ between the three groups (P = 0.986).ConclusionLow-pressure suction after pulmonary resection seems to avoid or promptly improve postoperative air leaks in digital drainage devices after lung resection.Trial registrationThis is a single-institution, retrospective analysis-based study of data from an electronic database. Study protocol was approved by the Akashi Medical Center Institutional Research Ethics Board (approval number: 2020–9).

What is the optimal level of suction on digital chest drainage devices following pulmonary lobectomy?

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was: what is the optimal level of suction on digital chest drainage devices following pulmonary lobectomy? Altogether 367 papers were found using the reported search, of which 4 randomized controlled trials using digital chest drainage devices represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. The new digital drainage systems enhance early mobilization as recommended in the enhanced recovery after surgery programme. There is, however, no consensus on the optimal level of suction to apply after pulmonary lobectomy. This is especially the case for digital drainage devices. Surgeon preference will likely continue to guide practice, until the evidence gives clear-cut recommendations. According to the current data, a low suction reduces total fluid drainage and perhaps air leak duration compared to higher suction levels in both video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and open pulmonary lobectomies using digital drainage devices, although the evidence is not overwhelming.

Influence of suction on prolonged air leak after VATS lobectomies: a prospective randomized study

Background. Prolonged air leak is the most common postoperative complication following lung resection. Despite the huge number of researches concerning this problem, no consensus exists regarding the choice of the appropriate method of pleural space drainage after thoracoscopic surgery.Objective. To compare suction and water-seal regarding their influence on the incidence of prolonged air leak.Material and Methods. This prospective randomized trial included sixty patients who underwent VATS lobectomies on different diagnoses in the Center for Thoracic Surgery, Clinical Hospital no. 122 (St. Petersburg) from September 2018 until May 2020. The open-label randomized controlled trial involved two groups: control group (water-seal drainage) and suction group. Each group consisted of thirty patients. Ten patients were discharged with a Heimlich valve.Results. The incidence of prolonged air leak was 23%. Patients in the suction group had a higher duration of air leak than those in the control group (5.3 ± 1.3 vs 3.7 ± 0.9 days, р = 0.04). The number of air leak cases was slightly higher in the suction group (8 and 6 patients); however, the difference was not significant (р = 0.57). Both groups had no difference in the number of complications (р = 0.2). There were no cases of reoperation.Discussion. The advantage of water-seal is a lower risk of parenchymal defects. Suction may increase holes in visceral pleura, cause hyperexudation, leading to prolonged duration of drainage. At the same time, the use of suction may decrease residual pleural spaces, match visceral and parietal pleura, which may decrease the duration of air leak. A lot of studies on this issue was performed, however, their results are contradictory.Conclusion. Drainage of pleural space after VATS lobectomies may be safely performed with water-seal. In the case of increasing surgical emphysema or appearance of progressive dyspnea, suction should be applied

Complications and Predictive Factors for Air Leak > 10 Days with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Pleurectomy/Decortication for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

A few studies have reported the incidence and clinical implications of complications after pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). The aim of this study was to assess the details of complications and predictive factors of particularly durable air leak with P/D. Data on 163 consecutive patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by P/D for malignant pleural mesothelioma between September 2012 and May 2020 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative complications and the significance of various preoperative risk factors for air leak > 10days (AL10) to identify the group having a higher risk for particularly durable air leak were investigated. Risk factors for AL10 were sought using univariate and multivariate analyses. Of 163 patients, 30- and 90-day mortality was 0.6% and 2.5%, respectively. Eighty-four (51.4%) patients experienced grade III or worse postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. The median duration of air leak was 7 postoperative days. AL10 occurred in 53 (32.5%) patients. Fifty-eight patients (35.6%) underwent pleurodesis and five patients (3.1%) underwent reoperation to control the air leak. On univariate analysis, performance status (PS; p = 0.003), prognostic nutritional index (p = 0.01), and pleural effusion (p = 0.04) were statistically significant risk factors for AL10, while on multivariate analysis, PS (odds ratio 4.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3-12.7; p = 0.02) remained the only variable predicted for AL10. Recent postoperative mortality rates in NAC followed by P/D are quite acceptable. Approximately one in every three patients experienced AL10, and PS may be a risk factor associated with AL10.

Less invasive surfactant administration reduces incidence of severe intraventricular haemorrage in preterms with respiratory distress syndrome: a cohort study.

Less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) has proved to safely improve morbidity in extreme preterms with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Its effect regarding intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) remains controversial between most recent systematic reviews. We aimed to evaluate its effect over incidence of severe IVH in this population. We compared the incidence of IVH in a prospective cohort of consecutively born preterm infants <34 weeks' gestation receiving LISA (n = 108) with a historical cohort receiving surfactant delivery via tracheal tube and managed with mechanical ventilation (n = 100). No significant differences regarding perinatal characteristics were observed between both groups. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of severe IVH in LISA group as compared with the historical group [OR = 0.054 (95% CI 0.01-0.2) p = 0.000. NNT 5]. In addition, a significant trend towards decreased mortality was also observed in the study group [OR = 0.2 (95% CI 0.04-0.9) p = 0.027, NNT 9]. Intervention group infants also showed lower oxygenation requirements during the first 72 h post surfactant administration and a reduced incidence of pneumothorax. They were less frequently intubated [31 infants (28.4%) vs. 100 [100%]; P < 0.001] and required fewer days of mechanical ventilation. However, no significant difference in bronchopulmonary dysplasia incidence was observed between both groups. LISA approach effectively reduces severe IVH in very low and low birth weight (BW) preterms with RDS. In addition we observe a significant trend towards reduction in both need and duration of MV support, air leak, and overall mortality in the intervention group.

Mechanical or chemical and mechanical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax: what is the most effective approach in preventing recurrence? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Surgical management of spontaneous pneumothorax typically involves wedge resection and mechanical pleurodesis. It is unclear whether combining mechanical and chemical pleurodesis can further reduce the recurrence rate. We have performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing the combined approach with mechanical pleurodesis alone. A comprehensive search of the existing literature was performed using PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for all types of studies that compared combined pleurodesis to a single approach. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) to assess the quality of the studies. Relative risk of pneumothorax recurrence was calculated, and the differences between the studies were examined. The primary outcome was the recurrence of pneumothorax. Of 2301 eligible studies, 5 studies were included. Five hundred sixty-one patients who received combined pleurodesis were compared to 286 patients who received mechanical pleurodesis only. Patients treated with combined intervention had a 63% lower risk of developing a recurrent pneumothorax compared to single intervention [relative risk 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18-0.76; P = 0.006]. There were no statistically significant differences in the length of stay (standardized mean difference -0.17, 95% CI -0.39 to 0.05, P = 0.138), the duration of postoperative air leak (standardized mean difference 0.17, 95% CI -1.14 to 1.47, P = 0.804) or the duration of postoperative chest tube drainage (standardized mean difference -0.07, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.12, P = 0.471). This meta-analysis demonstrated that combined intervention with mechanical and chemical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax may be more effective in preventing recurrence than mechanical pleurodesis alone. These findings will provide some guidance to surgeons in the decision-making process.