Major Pulmonary Resection Research Articles

Single-port video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)-advanced procedures & update.

The uniportal approach for major pulmonary resections began in 2010, with the first case being reported by D González-Rivas and colleagues in La Coruña, Spain. Since then, in different countries, thoracic surgeons had been performing hundreds of cases, with more advanced and complex procedures. Nowadays, there are reports of uniportal tracheal resection and reconstruction, carinal resection, bronchoplastic procedures, lobectomies with en bloc chest wall excision, and vascular reconstruction with optimal outcomes. The development of technologies and the potential benefits of a direct view, anatomic instrumentation, better cosmesis, and, potentially, less postoperative pain have led uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery to grow exponentially worldwide.

Risk factors for reinsertion of urinary catheter after early removal in thoracic surgical patients

ObjectivesTo reduce the incidence of urinary tract infection, Surgical Care Improvement Project 9 mandates the removal of urinary catheters within 48 hours postoperatively. In patients with thoracic epidural anesthesia, we sought to determine the rate of catheter reinsertion, the complications of reinsertion, and the factors associated with reinsertion. MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of consecutive patients undergoing major pulmonary or esophageal resection with thoracic epidural analgesia over a 2-year period. As per Surgical Care Improvement Project 9, all urinary catheters were removed within 48 hours postoperatively. Excluded were patients with chronic indwelling catheter, patients with urostomy, and patients requiring continued strict urine output monitoring. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for urinary catheter reinsertion. ResultsThirteen patients met exclusion criteria. Of the 275 patients evaluated, 60 (21.8%) required reinsertion of urinary catheter. There was no difference in the urinary tract infection rate between patients requiring reinsertion (1/60 [1.7%]) versus patients not requiring reinsertion (1/215 [0.5%], P = .389). Urethral trauma during reinsertion was seen in 1 of 60 patients (1.7%). After reinsertion, discharge with urinary catheter was required in 4 of 60 patients (6.7%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis found esophagectomy, lower body mass index, and benign prostatic hypertrophy to be independent risk factors associated with catheter reinsertion after early removal in the presence of thoracic epidural analgesia. ConclusionsWhen applying Surgical Care Improvement Project 9 to patients undergoing thoracic procedures with thoracic epidural analgesia, consideration to delayed removal of urinary catheter may be warranted in patients with multiple risk factors for reinsertion.

VATS Group ERAS Registry.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal, polyhedral approach to surgical management for patients undergoing surgical therapy. Since ERAS is not a specific procedure, these protocols are not exclusively created for particular clinical settings but they are prone to be adapted to a large variety of healthcare programs after surgery. ERAS Society was the platform in which a new multidisciplinary methodology to promote a fast recovery, a considerable patient involvement and resource optimization has been developed. ERAS Society has also produced guidelines for different surgical specialties and has already generated some evidence regarding preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative practice. ERAS in Thoracic Surgery has had a slow-growing development but some hints suggest that introducing ERAS methodology in pulmonary resections for cancer could be feasible and effective with potential tangible benefits for patients, families, caregivers and welfare. There is no evidence yet concerning ERAS principles in Thoracic Surgery; for this reason, a new possibility for prospective data collection and analysis is created using the VATS Group Web Registry in which additional records, documents and facts have now the possibility to be registered and eventually explored to possibly adjust the ERAS protocols to major pulmonary resections.

Definition of an advanced lung cancer and associated survival after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resection

The definition of “advanced lung cancer” is unclear, especially considering surgical treatment. For a surgeon, who prefers video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach, identification of specific problems, which make the VATS resection much more difficult, is quite understandable. But such variations in the definition make any productive comparing or collecting data very complicated, and incomparable with the traditional thoracic oncology studies. Randomized controlled trials for VATS for the locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been conducted yet. However, there are several relatively large series with the cohort of patients with advanced stages, treated by VATS. These publications are analyzed in this review. Many articles address the feasibility of VATS resections for challenging cases, such as sleeve broncho- and angioplasty, chest wall resection, Pancoast tumor, SVC resection, carina resection et cetera. But advanced or challenging surgery does not always signify the advanced stage of the cancer. One of the theoretical goals of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is to reduce immunosuppression after the procedure. Thus, patients with the advanced stages could benefit from VATS due to a better preservation of the patient’s immunity and potential to optimize long-term survival. It seems to be necessary to organize a multi-institutional trial with strict inclusion criteria for patients with the stage III lung cancer, who underwent VATS major pulmonary resections, in order to generate sufficient and reliable analytical data for this topic.

Impact of Major Pulmonary Resections on Right Ventricular Function: Early Postoperative Changes.

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction after pulmonary resection in the early postoperative period is documented by reduced RV ejection fraction and increased RV end-diastolic volume index. Supraventricular arrhythmia, particularly atrial fibrillation, is common after pulmonary resection. RV assessment can be done by non-invasive methods and/or invasive approaches such as right cardiac catheterization. Incorporation of a rapid response thermistor to pulmonary artery catheter permits continuous measurements of cardiac output, right ventricular ejection fraction, and right ventricular end-diastolic volume. It can also be used for right atrial and right ventricular pacing, and for measuring right-sided pressures, including pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. This study included 178 patients who underwent major pulmonary resections, 36 who underwent pneumonectomy assigned as group (I) and 142 who underwent lobectomy assigned as group (II). The study was conducted at the cardiothoracic surgery department of Benha University hospital in Egypt; patients enrolled were operated on from February 2012 to February 2016. A rapid response thermistor pulmonary artery catheter was inserted via the right internal jugular vein. Preoperatively the following was recorded: central venous pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, cardiac output, right ventricular ejection fraction and volumes. The same parameters were collected in fixed time intervals after 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours postoperatively. For group (I): There were no statistically significant changes between the preoperative and postoperative records in the central venous pressure and mean arterial pressure; there were no statistically significant changes in the preoperative and 12, 24, and 48 hour postoperative records for cardiac index; 3 and 6 hours postoperative showed significant changes. There were statistically significant changes between the preoperative and postoperative records for heart rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular end diastolic volume index, in all postoperative records. For group (II): There were no statistically significant changes between the preoperative and all postoperative records for the central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure and cardiac index. There were statistically significant changes between the preoperative and postoperative records for heart rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular end diastolic volume index in all postoperative records. There were statistically significant changes between the two groups in all postoperative records for heart rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular end diastolic volume index. There is right ventricular dysfunction early after major pulmonary resection caused by increased right ventricular afterload. This dysfunction is more present in pneumonectomy than in lobectomy. Heart rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular ejection fraction, and right ventricular end diastolic volume index are significantly affected by pulmonary resection.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) major pulmonary resections: different approaches and focus on the full thoracoscopic fissure-based technique

Many thoracoscopic techniques have recently been described. They vary according to the number of trocars and whether an access incision is used. Recently, studies have attempted to compare different approaches. These studies are limited by many factors: they are underpowered, many technical details are missing, and they are most often initiated by teams with significant experience in one of the techniques and little experience in the others. We analyze the most commonly used techniques and detail the place of a multi-port fissure-based approach.

The management of chemical pleurodesis with viscum album in patients with persistent air leakage.

Persistent air leak (PAL) after major pulmonary resection or involved with secondary lung disease is prevalent and associated with significant morbidity. Chemical pleurodesis is a practical therapeutic tool to manage the patients with PAL. Among various sclerosing substances, viscum album (fraxini) is considered effective and safe. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of viscum album pleurodesis in patients with intractable prolonged air leakage. Between February 2013 and February 2015, 73 consecutive patients who underwent pleurodesis due to PAL were enrolled in this study. Pleurodesis was performed using 100 mg of viscum album (fraxini) at 1 time through the indwelling chest tube. Main studied outcomes were focused on success rate of pleurodesis assessed on chest radiography and cessation of the air leak after procedure. The study population was predominantly male (n=64, 87.7%). The overall success rate was 90.4%. One patient died of pneumonia not related to the viscum album pleurodesis. The mean length of stoppage to air leakage was 28.00±22.19 hours. The mean duration of chest tube drainage after pleurodesis was 2.78±1.35 days. The mean number of pleurodesis was 1.38±0.75. Thirty-six patients (49.3%) complained of chest pain requiring a prescription for pain control. There were no major relevant complications or mortalities. Air leaks remain an important cause of morbidity. This viscum album pleurodesis could be considered as an option for the treatment of prolonged air leak patients, associated with acceptable side effects.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy using "the caudal approach": results and evolution.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has become a common surgical approach in the diagnosis and treatment of lung and mediastinal diseases. In this study, we reported our current experience of thoracoscopic surgery using a new caudal position technique for anatomical lung resections and compared it with the standard anterior VATS technique. From January 2016 to October 2017, 92 consecutive patients with lung cancer underwent VATS lobectomy. Among these, 34 patients were treated by conventional anterior three portal VATS lobectomy, and 58 patients were treated using the caudal three port VATS lobectomy. The mean operative time, conversion rate, hospital stay, post-operative drainage, reoperation, post operative pain were compared between each group. No differences between the two groups are showed in terms of surgical time, post-operative drainage, incidence of prolonged air leaks and post-operative pain. The caudal approach to major pulmonary resection of thoracoscopic lobectomy results in a reliable and comfortable procedure for the surgeon. Once demonstrated the reliability of the VATS lobectomy with three accesses using the caudal position, we are starting to standardize biportal and uniportal VATS with the surgeon in the caudal position.

Strategies for the prevention and control of bleeding due to vascular injury in thoracoscopic lung surgery

The technique of thoracoscopic lung surgery has gradually matured. Nowadays, thoracoscope is recommended as the most preferred approach for surgical treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer in different guidelines. However, there are still some cases of accidential major bleeding due to vascular injury during thoracoscopic lung surgery. The wall of the hilum vessels is relatively thin. These vessels often involve a great portion of the cardiac output blood flow. Once the injury happened, the emergent condition may be life-threatening due to massive blood loss. Therefore, this became an important factor which hindered the development of thoracoscopic lung surgery. In this review, details of the vascular injury in thoracoscopic lung surgery were summarized, including the incidence of vascular injury, commonly injured sites and reasons of the injuries. Among all the cases of thoracoscopic major pulmonary resection, 2.9% to 9.2% may suffer from vascular injury during the operation. The most commonly injuried sites are pulmonary artery and the branches, and this is also the most critical situation during thoracoscopic lung surgery. Hilum adhesion is the most important risk factor for vascular injury. On the one hand, the suction-compressing angiorrhaphy technique was developed for bleeding control and angioplasty. On the other hand, the strategies like pre-control of the pulmonary, cut the bronchus in advance, and fire the bronchus and pulmonary artery together may decrease the incidence of vascular injury in patients with risk factors.

From uniportal to multiportal approach to major pulmonary resections: a non-evidence based debate

Although the first thoracoscopic major pulmonary resections (MPR) were reported more than 25 years ago, the question of the optimal approach remains the most debated one and gives rise to an abundance of publications, every surgeon being convinced his approach (hybrid, single-port, double-port, triple-port, robotics…) is the best.

Midterm outcomes of single port thoracoscopic surgery for major pulmonary resection.

IntroductionSingle-port thoracoscopic surgery has widened the current minimally invasive surgical techniques toward more less invasive procedures in terms of reducing the number of incisions. However, the current status of oncologic outcome with this technique is not well known for lung cancer surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the oncologic outcomes in early stage lung cancer for impact of the survival outcomes with our experience of conversion to a single-port approach from the conventional three-port approach.Materials and methodsRetrospective data of patients who underwent thoracoscopic major lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer between January 2006 and June 2015 were analyzed. Patients’ characteristics, perioperative outcomes, pathologic result, and postoperative follow-up data of thoracoscopic surgery were reviewed and surgical outcomes were compared between conventional three-port (n = 168), two-port (n = 68), and single-port thoracoscopic surgery (n = 203).ResultsOf the 203 single-port thoracoscopic surgeries, we performed 167 single-port thoracoscopic lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissections. During the learning period of each thoracoscopic approach, the mean operation time for single-port thoracoscopic surgery (189±62 min) was not significantly different from those of two-port (175±46 min) and three-port (195±75 min) thoracoscopic lobectomy (p = 0.165). Perioperative outcomes including drain indwelling time (p <0.001), complication (p = 0.185) and conversion event (p = 0.911) were not worsened during learning period with two-port. Midterm survival (p = 0.753) and recurrence free survival (p = 0.656) of single port thoracoscopic lobectomy showed acceptable results compared with two- and three-port approach.ConclusionsSingle-port thoracoscopic surgery is safe and a feasible option for major lung resection in lung malignancy and this approach following experiences of two-port approach may yield similar oncologic results to those of conventional multi-port approach during thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Unisurgeon' uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy.

The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for major pulmonary resections has evolved in a period of only 7 years from 3-4 incisions to a single incision approach. However, Uniportal VATS approach is different from other forms of minimally invasive thoracic surgery, and the technique of lung exposure and stapler insertion through a single hole should be learned step by step. The main advances of uniportal VATS during the last years are related to improvements in surgical technique, evolving to a concept of "advanced VATS instrumentation", and implementation of new technology. One recent advance in uniportal VATS is the possibility of using a robotic or pneumatic articulated arm that holds the camera stable and no needs a surgical assistant. This is called "unisurgeon uniportal VATS" in where the surgeon has more freedom of movements and eliminates the fatigue of assistant holding the camera. We are still in the beginning of the "unisurgeon era" that probably will be more popular in the next coming years thanks to the Implementation of wireless cameras and graspers by means of magnetic control.

Full thoracoscopic fissure based technique for major pulmonary resections: rational and basic considerations

We report the basics and rational of the technique for major pulmonary resections (MPR) that has been used in 1,050 patients. (I) Full thoracoscopic technique without access incision but with the number of ports that is necessary for optimal exposure. To minimize chest wall trauma and torquing, we use a deflectable scope and the diameter of instruments is reduced to 5 mm or even 3 mm. Their ergonomics and features are adapted to the specific requirements of thoracoscopic surgery. (II) Fissure based approach in order to achieve optimal vascular and lymph node dissection.

The Advent of Ultra-high Volume Thoracic Surgical Centers in Shanghai.

A core principle in surgery is that high surgical volumes are conducive toward better outcomes. Ultra-high volume centers (UHVCs) have now emerged in thoracic surgery in China that now perform a volume of thoracic operations far greater than even traditional international centers of excellence. In 2016, two hospitals in Shanghai performed over 10,000 major pulmonary, esophageal and mediastinal resections each. A qualitative analysis of the lessons learned in achieving such large operation volumes was undertaken. The advent of these UHVCs gives important insights for not only thoracic surgeons, but for surgical oncologists and surgeons globally. First, these ultra-high volumes were achieved to a large degree by cancer screening-but the success of the screening programs relies on reaching wider patient groups and allowing for affordable 'self-screening.' Second, the ultra-high clinical volumes at UHVCs offer unique opportunities for surgical training and research, potentially changing paradigms for academic surgery. Third, these ultra-high volumes may place new stresses on existing healthcare resources and prompt novel management strategies in response. The UHVCs represent a revolutionary development in modern surgery, and it behooves surgeons to both accept the challenges and harness the advantages they may bring.

Awake non-intubated single-incision VATS lobectomy after induction chemotherapy and mediastinoscopy

The search for the least invasive approach for lung cancer surgery has developed single-incision thoracoscopic procedures under loco-regional anesthesia without tracheal intubation, including major pulmonary resections such as lobectomies and anatomical segmentectomies. We present the first report of an awake non-intubated single-incision thoracoscopic lobectomy in a patient with clinical stage IIIA adenocarcinoma after induction chemotherapy and mediastinoscopy.

Prolonged air leak after video-assisted thoracic surgery lung cancer resection: risk factors and its effect on postoperative clinical recovery.

Prolonged air leak (PAL) is one of the most common postoperative complications after pulmonary resection. The aim of this study was to reveal the incidence and risk factors of PAL in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung cancer resection, and to evaluate the effect of PAL on postoperative complications, postoperative length of stay (PLOS), and medical costs. Continuous patients who underwent VATS major pulmonary resection for lung cancer between January 2014 and December 2015 were studied. Clinical data of these patients were obtained from the Western China Lung Cancer Database. PAL was defined as air leak more than 5 days after surgery. The risk factors for PAL were analyzed, as well as the effect of PAL on postoperative clinical recovery. A total of 1,051 patients were enrolled in this study. The incidence of PAL was 10.6% (111/1,051). Pleural adhesion [odds ratio (OR), 2.38 for extensive vs. none, P=0.001] was identified as the only independent risk factors for PAL through multivariate analysis. The incidence of overall complications and pneumonia were significantly higher in patients with PAL (PAL group) than those without PAL (non-PAL group) (OR, 6.77, P=0.000; OR, 2.41, P=0.010, respectively). PAL was found to be associated with longer PLOS (11.7±6.6 vs. 6.5±3.6 days; P=0.000) and higher medical costs (¥62,042.5±18,072.0 vs. ¥52,291.3±13,845.5, P=0.000). Pleural adhesion was associated with increased risk of PAL after VATS lung cancer resection. Those patients with PAL had more postoperative complications, stayed longer in the hospital after surgery, and paid higher medical costs.

Multiportal video-assisted thoracic surgery, uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery and minimally invasive open chest surgery-selection criteria.

Thoracic surgery started the path to minimally invasive surgery over a hundred years ago, with the first thoracoscopic procedure performed by Jacobeus in 1910. Interestingly, these first procedures were performed using a single port approach and were used for diagnostic and minor procedures only. For a long period of time, the progress for minimally invasive thoracic surgery was considerably slow until the early 90s, when video assisted thoracic surgery started to be used for major pulmonary resections. Since then, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) had a widespread use around the world and an ongoing search for a less invasive procedures evolved into uniportal VATS. Now, thoracic surgeons have a variety of choices for minimally invasive thoracic surgery and must be trained in these approaches to keep up with the evolution of the specialty and be up to date with the recommended treatments for diseases needing surgical intervention. The approach chosen by each surgeon is a matter of preference, while keeping in mind certain characteristics specific to the pathology and patient to be treated, the level of training of the surgeon, and the healthcare resources available. As more evidence is collected, the choice for video-assisted procedures, which have currently been proven safe, effective, less invasive and, in general, show good results, will prevail.

The Athens uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery masterclass-an ambitious kickstarter.

The shift from open to minimally invasive techniques in thoracic surgery has been dramatic during the past 10 years. Not only the feasibility, safety, reproducibility and oncologic efficacy of these techniques have been clearly demonstrated, but also their superiority concerning mortality, postoperative pain, postoperative quality of life and recovery. Thus, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is currently the procedure of choice for a wide variety of thoracic interventions, ranging from major pulmonary resections for lung cancer to thymectomy and mediastinal procedures, even to esophageal procedures. Amongst the various minimally invasive techniques, the uniportal or single incision VATS has recently gained great popularity. The concept of a single 2.5 cm incision, despite not being the technique's only advantage, through which major thoracic procedures can be carried out, seems to greatly appeal to surgeons throughout the globe. Appealing as it may be, the technique is also demanding, revealing the need for training. A well organised and structured, fee free training programme that has been running at the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital for more than 2 years under the inspirational guidance of Dr. Gonzalez Rivas has undoubtedly skyrocketed the technique's adoption worldwide. Of equal significance towards the spread of the technique have proved to be the master classes, 2-day intensive tutorials, hosted by centres all over the world during which Dr Rivas outlines the principles of the technique before performing with the assistance of the local surgical team. We hereby reflect on the experience obtained following Riva's visit to our institution in Athens, Hellas (Greece) for a 2-day uniportal VATS master class, the first held in Hellas.

Example of a motorized scope positioner used for thoracoscopic major pulmonary resections

Example of a motorized scope positioner used for thoracoscopic major pulmonary resections

Preface to the 3rd International Uniportal VATS Course-Berlin Special Issue.

The International Uniportal VATS Course is a three-day-masterclass symposium jointly organized by the University Hospital Charite in Berlin (Germany), the University Hospital in Coruna (Spain), and the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai (China). This symposium addresses the techniques and advances in uniportal VATS by lectures, discussions and video sessions on the first day and Live Surgery of major pulmonary resections via uniportal VATS on the second day. The third day is a Hands-on class (Wetlab) for a limited group.