Poor Cardiopulmonary Function Research Articles

Sublobar Resection of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Wedge Resection vs. Segmentectomy.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death. The mainstay treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in the early stages, is surgical resection. Traditionally, lobectomy has been considered the gold-standard technique. Sublobar resection includes segmentectomy and wedge resection. Compared to lobectomy, these procedures have been viewed as a compromise procedure, reserved for those with poor cardiopulmonary function or who are poor surgical candidates for other reasons. However, with the advances in imaging and surgical techniques, the subject of sublobar resection as a curative treatment is being revisited. Many studies have now shown segmentectomy to be equivalent to lobectomy in patients with small (<2.0 cm), peripheral NSCLC. However, there is a mix of evidence when it comes to wedge resection and its suitability as a curative procedure. At this time, until more data can be found, segmentectomy should be considered before wedge resection for patients with early-stage NSCLC.

CHYLOTHORAX: APPROACHES TO DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Chylothorax is a rare disease and epidemiologically is most commonly found in children. It can also result in severe respiratory morbidity such as pleural effusion and has a high mortality rate in children. Conservative treatment and consideration of surgical intervention may be warranted as the primary goal of chylothorax management is to remove fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity, avoid recurrence, treat associated problems, and find the underlying cause while maintaining optimal nutrition. We report two cases of chylothorax in children. Data were collected retrospectively from children diagnosed with chylothorax in the pediatric ward of RSUD Dr. Soetomo in 2022. This is a series of cases that includes two children diagnosed with chylothorax. case series involving two patients who underwent cardiac and congenital thoracic surgery and developed chylothorax. Patients receiving partial parenteral nutrition with MCT have improved drainage outcomes. After birth, thoracentesis closes the thoracic drainage, and life support is usually necessary for babies with chylothorax because they often have poor cardiopulmonary function

The efficacy and safety analysis of cervical and abdominal double single-port minimally invasive esophagectomy

Objective: To summarize the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive esophagectomy through cervical and abdominal double single-port. Methods: A total of 28 patients who underwent cervical and abdominal double single-port minimally invasive radical resection of esophageal cancer from January 2021 to October 2022 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University were retrospectively collected, including 18 males and 10 females, aged 58-80 (72±4) years. All patients were placed in the supine position, the single port was operated through the cervical mediastinum first, then the single port was operated through the abdominal cavity, and finally the neck was anastomosed. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ambulation time, postoperative drainage tube removal time, postoperative complications, postoperative pathological examination results, postoperative discharge time of patients were recorded and followed. Results: In the included 28 patients, there were twenty-six patients successfully completed the cervical and abdominal double single-port minimally invasive radical resection of esophageal cancer, and two patients were transferred to the right thoracoscopic surgery due to oozing of blood and unclear visual field, without conversion to laparotomy or enlargement of the incision occurred. The operation time was 125 to 215 (152±32) minutes, including 43 to 100 (56±15) minutes in the mediastinum and 35 to 63 (40±5) minutes in the abdominal cavity. Intra-operative blood loss was 55-100 (45±20) ml. There were 8 to 14 (11±3) lymph nodes dissected in the mediastinum and 7 to 15 (9±3) lymph nodes dissected in the abdominal cavity. Twenty-eight patients were active in bed 1 to 2 days after surgery. The left cervical drainage tube was removed 2 days after surgery. There was no anastomotic fistula, anastomotic stenosis, pulmonary infection, chylothorax and stomach emptying disorder in the whole group. Pleural effusion occurred in 4 cases, all of them had pleural damage during the operation, and were cured after postoperative puncture and drainage; two cases had hoarseness and one case had cough after eating, all patients were discharged from hospital after eating liquid. Postoperative hospital median stay was [ M(Q1, Q3)] 7(6, 9) d. The postoperative pathological examination results of all patients were squamous cell carcinoma, and the postoperative pathological stage was pT1-3N0-1M0. The median postoperative follow-up was 25 (5, 35) months, and no patients had complications, recurrence, metastasis or death during the follow-up period. Conclusion: The cervical and abdominal double single-hole minimally invasive radical resection of esophageal cancer is safe and feasible, with good short-term efficacy, which provide an opportunity for radical surgery for patients with advanced age, poor cardiopulmonary function or insufficient thoracic conditions.

Evaluation of surgical outcomes and prognostic factors of second primary lung cancer based on a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundAlthough surgery has been widely applied for SPLC therapy, there is still no uniform treatment approach. Whether SPLC and primary lung cancer have similar prognostic characteristics remains controversial. Herein, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to enucleate the influences of diverse surgical strategies and underlying prognostic factors on the prognosis of patients with both the first primary lung cancer and SPLC underwent surgical resection.MethodsA comprehensive and systematic literature search was implemented in three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane), and eligible studies were screened following inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meanwhile, we extracted the hazard ratios (HR) together with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each prognostic factor, either directly or indirectly, from the enrolled literature.ResultsEleven studies (published between 2000 and 2022) were included in this study, including 1,131 SPLC patients. The overall survival (OS) exhibited no difference between patients with lobectomy and sublobar resection after SPLC (HR: 0.87, 95%CI: 0.62–1.21, P = 0.41). The patients after completion pneumonectomy had a poor prognosis (HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.34–2.55, P < 0.01). Poor prognostic factors after SPLC surgery included synchronous SPLC (HR: 3.38, 95%CI: 1.53–7.46, P < 0.01), tumor diameter > 2 cm (HR: 2.44, 95%CI: 1.73–3.44, P < 0.01), solid predominant in CT morphology (HR: 3.08, 95% CI: 1.14–8.33, P = 0.03), lymph node metastasis (HR: 2.79, 95%CI: 1.40–5.56), and smoking (HR: 2.37, 95%CI: 1.08–26.82, P < 0.01). Tumor disease-free interval (DFI), tumor histological type, and gender had no impact on the prognosis of patients received SPLC surgery.ConclusionsPatients with SPLC, especially those with poor cardiopulmonary function reserve, should be prioritized for sublobar resection for treatment. These patients should also try to avoid completion pneumonectomy. Patients with synchronous SPLC, tumor diameter > 2 cm, solid predominant in CT morphology, lymph node metastasis, and smoking had a poor prognosis. Meanwhile, SPLC has similar prognostic characteristics with single primary lung cancer. However, the study has some limitations and more evidence is warranted to verify the findings.

SPACES: Our team's experience in lung tumor microwave ablation.

The standard treatment of stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer is lobectomy with systematic mediastinal lymph node evaluation. Unfortunately, up to 25% of patients with stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer are not candidates for surgery due to severe medical comorbidities (poor cardiopulmonary function). Image-guided thermal ablation is an alternative for those patients, includes radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation (MWA), cryoablation, and laser ablation. Compared to them, MWA is a relatively new technique with some potential advantages, such as faster heating times, higher intralesional temperatures, larger ablation zones, less procedural pain, relative insensitivity to "heat sinks," and less sensitivity to tissue types. However, some advantages of MWA mentioned above (such as higher intralesional temperatures, larger ablation zones) also have potential risks and problems, and an innovative and standardized guidance system is needed to avoid and solve these risks and problems. This article combs our team's clinical experience over the past decade, summarizes a systematic and standardized guidance system, and names it SPACES (Selection, Procedure, Assessment, Complication, Evaluation, Systemic therapy). Both primary and metastatic pulmonary tumors can be efficiently treated with image-guided thermal ablation in selected candidates. The selection and use of ablation techniques should consider the size and location of the target tumor, the risk of complications, and the expertise and skills of the professionals, among which the size of the target tumor (<3 mm) is a major factor determining the success of ablation.

Enlightenment for clinicians from the case of digestive tract metastases from primary lung cancer: a case report

Background: About 50% of patients with initially diagnosed lung cancer have developed distant metastasis. The probability of occurrence of digestive tract metastases found by autopsy is rarely. This report presents a rare clinical case of small intestinal metastasis from primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Case presentation: An 82-year-old male with aggravated cough and more acute shortness of breath than usual was diagnosed with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lung Stage IV,because of the advanced age, underlying diseases, and poor cardiopulmonary function,the family refused the chemoradiotherapy. One month later, the patient gradually developed right lower quadrant pain. An upright abdominal X-ray suggested small intestinal obstruction and partial resection and anastomosis of the small intestine were performed. Postoperative pathology revealed poorly differentiated squamous-cell carcinoma of the small intestine. The patient died of sudden cardio-respiratory arrest one month later. Conclusions:We conclude that the real incidence of digestive tract metastases from lung cancer may be higher than the reported because of the symptoms of those patients are not obvious. Clinicians should select the appropriate examination methods (such as positron emission tomography) and pay attention to the assessment of abdominal hollow organs

The analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block in pulmonary tumor ablation surgery: a prospective single-arm study.

Local thermal ablation is a rapidly developing minimally invasive treatment for lung tumors. This technique has the advantages of less trauma, ease and convenience of the operation, fast recovery, and fewer complications. Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) has been demonstrated can provide sufficient pain relief with high safety. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of TPVB for anesthesia management during the ablation surgery of lung tumors. In our study, a total of 30 patients undergoing Local thermal ablation surgery were enrolled. All patients received TPVB anesthesia before CT positioning starting. Analgesics and rescue drugs were used according to the patient's condition during operation. The main observation and assessment outcome were intraoperative and postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score. Other outcomes were total dose of analgesics and rescue drugs, incidences of adverse events, and the patients' and surgeons' satisfaction degrees. All patients successfully received ablation surgery under TPVB anesthesia. None of the patients were switched to general anesthesia. There were no statistically differences were found between the preoperative VAS score (0.54±1.12) and the intraoperative VAS score (0.58±1.15) (P>0.05). No adverse events occurred and no rescue drugs were used during operation. The satisfaction scale of both patients and surgeons was 3 points or above, and all patients were discharged from the hospital. TPVB is an effective and safe anesthesia management technique which can provided adequate pain relief in local thermal ablation therapy for lung tumors. This discovery could provide a better anesthesia protocol for anesthetists in lung tumors ablation surgery, especially when patients have a poor cardiopulmonary function and combined with serious underlying diseases.

Effects of Exercise on Cardiopulmonary Function in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder characterized by repeated episodes of apnea and hypopnea during sleep. Snoring and daytime sleepiness are the most common manifestations of OSA. Patients with OSA are considered to have poor cardiopulmonary function. Exercise has been proposed as a treatment for OSA that could lower apnea hypopnea indices (AHI) and improve sleep quality. Study shows that constantly aerobic exercise improved cardiopulmonary function in patients with chronic heart failure. However, whether exercise training will benefit cardiopulmonary functioning in patients with OSA is still in doubt. The purpose of this review is to investigate the effect of exercise on cardiopulmonary functioning in adults with OSA by summarizing the results of clinical trials. A systematic review of the PubMed, Web of science, Wan Fang and CNKI databases was conducted for randomized controlled trials (up to October, 2021; language in English or Chinese) comparing exercise treatments to no exercise treatments for patients with OSA. Focused outcomes included AHI, VO2peak, mean oxygen saturations (SaO2mean%), lowest oxygen saturations (SaO2min%), sleep quality (PSQI scale), and quality of life (ESS scale). Pooled data were assessed by using random-effects. This study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. Of 262 identified studies, 12 were eligible and included in final analysis (N = 530 adult participants). Compared to no exercise treatment, exercise yielded an improved mean reduction in AHI of 6.69 [95%CI: -8.50 to -4.87], an improved mean increases in VO2peak of 0.98 [95%CI: 0.39, 1.57], besides, PSQI and ESS scores decreased by 2.1 [95%CI: -3.95 to 0.24] and 6.69 [95%CI: -8.50 to 4.87], respectively. Although SaO2min% and SaO2mean% were improved by exercise, the improvement was clinically small. Exercise can improve multiple aspects of functioning in patients with OSA, including AHI, sleep quality, quality of life, and cardiopulmonary functions. Exercise is thus recommended as a potential therapeutic strategy to improve conditions of patients with OSA.

Jumping into a Healthier Future: Trampolining for Increasing Physical Activity in Children

ObjectivesPhysical activity in children and adolescents has positive effects on cardiopulmonary function in this age group as well as later in life. As poor cardiopulmonary function is associated with higher mortality and morbidity, increasing physical activity especially in children needs to become a priority. Trampoline jumping is widely appreciated in children. The objective was to investigate its use as a possible training modality.MethodsFifteen healthy children (10 boys and 5 girls) with a mean age of 8.8 years undertook one outdoor incremental running test using a mobile cardiopulmonary exercise testing unit. After a rest period of at least 2 weeks, a trampoline test using the mobile unit was realized by all participants consisting of a 5-min interval of moderate-intensity jumping and two high-intensity intervals with vigorous jumping for 2 min, interspersed with 1-min rests.ResultsDuring the interval of moderate intensity, the children achieved dot{V}{O}_2-values slightly higher than the first ventilatory threshold (VT1) and during the high-intensity interval comparable to the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) of the outdoor incremental running test. They were able to maintain these values for the duration of the respective intervals. The maximum values recorded during the trampoline test were significantly higher than during the outdoor incremental running test.ConclusionTrampoline jumping is an adequate tool for implementing high-intensity interval training as well as moderate-intensity continuous training in children. As it is a readily available training device and is greatly enjoyed in this age group, it could be implemented in exercise interventions.

PO53: A Novel Unidirectional Permanent Device for Intraoperative Brachytherapy in Patients with Early Stage Lung Cancer Who Undergo Sub-Lobar Resection

Purpose: While complete surgical resection is considered standard of care for early stage lung cancer, many patients are unable to tolerate radical lung procedures due to poor cardiopulmonary function. In these patients, sub-lobar resection with radiotherapy may be a safe and efficacious compromise. Implanted brachytherapy at the time of surgery is highly conformal and may spare cardiopulmonary toxicity. The CivaSheet (CivaTech Oncology) is a planar, uni-directional device designed to deliver a therapeutic dose of low dose rate radiation.

Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage for management of acute cholecystitis with coagulopathy.

Acute cholecystitis is a common and frequently occurring disease, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the preferred treatment method. Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage is regarded as the first-line palliative procedure for elderly patients with poor cardiopulmonary function who cannot tolerate general anesthesia. However, for patients with acute cholecystitis who are undergoing treatment with oral antithrombotics or who have abnormal coagulation mechanisms, endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage may be a good choice. Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage is an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-based technique that drains the gallbladder by placing a tube into the cavity of the gallbladder though the cystic gall duct. It is the application of the concept of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in the biliary system. This technique can not only achieve gallbladder drainage but can also minimize the risk of procedure-induced bleeding. In this paper, we describe a representative case to introduce the key points of this procedure and the associated clinical care, hoping to provide useful information for clinicians and nurses.

Bronchial Sleeve Resection with Complete Pulmonary Preservation: A Single-Center Experience.

PurposeBronchial sleeve resection with complete pulmonary preservation (BSRCPP) is a classic surgical method for the treatment of benign or low-grade bronchial tumors. For elderly patients and patients with poor cardiopulmonary function, BSRCPP is particularly advantageous because some of these patients may not tolerate lobectomy or pneumonectomy. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 20 patients who underwent BSRCPP during the past 7 years. This report presents the experience with BSRCPP in our department.Patients and MethodsWe collected the data of 20 patients who underwent BSRCPP. Of these 20 patients, 17 underwent thoracotomy and 3 underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The study cohort comprised 7 male and 13 female patients with an average age of 44 years (range, 4–71 years). All patients underwent a systematic preoperative examination to confirm the surgical indications and methods. Regular follow-up was conducted after the operation.ResultsAll patients survived and remained clinically well. Two of the 20 patients (10%) were re-admitted to the hospital because of pulmonary air leakage, which was resolved after thoracic drainage. No patients developed tumor recurrence.ConclusionBSRCPP may be an effective treatment for selected patients with bronchial tumors. Notably, however, many technical key points require improvement, especially in VATS. Therefore, thoracoscopic minimally invasive treatment requires more practice and exploration.

Cardiopulmonary phenotypic variability and discordance in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Implications for new therapies

Neuromuscular respiratory medicine has traditionally focused on assisted lung ventilation and mucus clearance. These therapies have prolonged survival for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the field is rapidly evolving in a new direction: it is being revolutionized by molecular and genetic therapies. A good correlation between a patient's dystrophin mutation and his cardiopulmonary phenotype would allow accurate prediction of patient prognosis and would facilitate the design of studies that assess new DMD therapies. Instead, patient prognosis and the design of valid therapeutic studies are complicated by cardiopulmonary phenotypic discordance and variability, by which a notable proportion of DMD patients have unexpectedly good or poor cardiopulmonary function. The likely cause of phenotypic variability and discordance is genetic modifiers. Once the modifiers that affect cardiopulmonary function are better understood, it should be possible to create a personalized genetic profile that accurately predicts the prognosis of each individual DMD patient. This would allow investigators to assess the effect of new therapies in the context of each patient's particular cardiopulmonary natural history. Amplification of beneficial cardiopulmonary genetic modifiers and blocking of detrimental modifiers is a promising strategy for creating new DMD therapies. When patients with chronic respiratory failure are treated with assisted ventilation, cardiac function determines their survival. Therefore, prioritizing new cardiac therapies is most likely to prolong patient survival. By focusing on these topics we aim to move neuromuscular respiratory medicine beyond assisted ventilation and coughing and into the age of translational medicine.

Anesthetic Management of Patients After Scoliosis Surgery: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

PurposeTo evaluate the effect of anesthetic management on scoliosis surgery and review the incidence rate of perioperative adverse events.MethodsThis was a retrospective study and approved by the ethics committee. Patients who underwent scoliosis surgery from April 2011 to March 2018 in the Third Hospital of ChengDu were enrolled in this study. Characteristics of patients were obtained from the hospital's electronic records. The following information on patients was collected: preoperative assessment details, premedication, type of anesthesia and operation, the main postoperative outcome, and complications. Data were presented as the mean ± standard deviations (SD) for normally distributed continuous variables and numbers for categorical variables. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22.0.ResultsIn total, 513 patients were enrolled in the present study. The main preoperative complication was cardiopulmonary dysfunction (386 cases, 75.24%). Anesthesia induction was performed with conscious tracheal intubation after oral surface anesthesia. In total, the common postoperative complications involved anesthesia (24 cases, 4.68%), surgery (23 cases, 4.48%), the respiratory system (138 cases, 26.90%), and the gastrointestinal tract (nine cases, 1.75%). The majority of postoperative complications were postoperative hypoxemia and hypercapnia, caused by poor cardiopulmonary function. Rare and serious complications still occurred. Three patients died in hospital.ConclusionOur study demonstrated a high incidence of complications in scoliosis surgery, especially postoperative complications. Extreme postoperative vigilance is required and high‐level monitoring of conditions is highly recommended.

Ventilation/perfusion SPECT/CT in patients with severe and rigid scoliosis: An evaluation by relationship to spinal deformity and lung function

ObjectiveStructural changes of the spine and chest wall associated with SRS result in poor cardiopulmonary function. Comprehensive assessment of pulmonary function is extremely important for patients with SRS before a correction operation. We explore the changes of distribution of lung ventilation and perfusion function in patients with SRS using SPECT/CT and describe the relation between these changes with Cobb angle and FVC%. Patients and methodsFrom March 2015 to August 2016, 16 consecutive SRS patients with a mean age of 20.1 years(range 11–36 years) were included in the study. Scoliotic parameters on radiographs were analyzed. FVC% were obtained by spirometry test. Lungs ventilation/perfusion single photon emission computed tomography scans was performed preoperatively in all patients to explore pulmonary ventilation and perfusion function changes. These changes were measured as the deviation form the normal perfusion and ventilation function distribution in right and left lung and correlated with the Cobb angle of main curve and FVC%. ResultsThe regional lung ventilation and perfusion function defects were not found in all SRS patients. Ventilation function deviation was a mean 5.7%(range, −3.6% to 10.1%), significantly less than perfusion function deviation of 8.2%(range, −0.3% to 22.2%) (P = 0.015, t = −2.732). Lung ventilation and/or perfusion function deviation did not correlated with Cobb angle and FVC%, respectively. There was significant correlation between lungs ventilation and perfusion function deviation(P = 0.001, r = 0.753). ConclusionThe ventilation and perfusion function distribution were favourable in convex and concave side lung of SRS. Deformity bring about greater lungs perfusion function changes than ventilation function. The measurement of lung ventilation and perfusion function changes may represents an additional functional feature to assess pulmonary function of SRS more comprehensively.

Partial liquid ventilation for bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Visualizing ventilation patterns on chest radiographs

Despite the advances in neonatal intensive care, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) still remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity in many preterm infants. A definitive treatment still does not exist, and BPD has serious consequences, including poor cardiopulmonary function and development. Hence, to address this need, a randomized clinical trial (NCT03041740) is currently underway to assess the safety and feasibility of partial liquid ventilation (PLV) in preterm infants with severe BPD.

CT Guided Radiofrequency Ablation Followed Intratumoral Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Early Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

背景与目的射频消融（radiofrequency ablation, RFA）已经成为无法手术的早期非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）的局部治疗方法之一。本研究观察计算机断层扫描（computed tomography, CT）引导下RFA与瘤内化疗（intratumoral chemotherapy, ITC）（RFA-ITC）的有效性和安全性。方法自2005年1月至2015年12月研究组前瞻性入组经病理学证实为早期NSCLC，因心肺功能较差或伴发其他疾病而无法耐受手术或拒绝手术的患者，接受RFA-ITC治疗。RFA采用导向器辅助CT引导穿刺准实时步进法，适形伞状电极、单点或多点消融，完成治疗计划并当CT显示肿瘤周围正常肺组织呈现磨玻璃样后结束消融治疗，经电极针将卡铂200 mg缓慢注射到肿瘤内。随访评估安全性和有效性。结果110例患者125次RFA-ITC治疗，技术成功率为100%。中位生存期为48.0个月，总生存率为55.4个月，无进展生存期为55.1个月；1年、2年、3年、5年总生存率分别为100%、90.7%、62.7%、21.9%。消融后有和无磨玻璃样改变的生存期分别是68.3个月、40.1个月，有统计学差异（P=0.001）。肿瘤的大小及有无N1分期的生存率无差异。无围手术期死亡发生，气胸、肺内出血、胸腔积液、发热、术中胸痛、皮下气肿、术中咳嗽等并发症轻微可耐受。结论CT引导RFA-ITC治疗不能手术的早期NSCLC，疗效好、并发症少，对患者损伤小，为不能手术治疗的早期NSCLC的治疗提供了一个良好方法。

Simultaneous resection of pulmonary tumor following cardiovascular surgery

A pulmonary tumor is occasionally detected on a chest computed tomography (CT) scan before cardiovascular surgery. In this study, we examined clinical courses of patients who had undergone the simultaneous resection of a pulmonary tumor following cardiovascular surgery. From 2008 to 2013, 18 patients (13 men and 5 women) with a median age of 69.8 years underwent the wedge pulmonary resection for a lung tumor through a median thoracotomy following cardiovascular surgery in our hospital. Cardiovascular surgeries consisted of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in six patients, aortic valve replacement and/or mitral valve plasty in 10 patients, total arch replacement in 10 patients and descending aorta replacement in 10 patients. No complications associated with pulmonary resections were observed. Pathological examination revealed that 15 patients (83.3%) were diagnosed with lung cancers including 13 adenocarcinomas and two squamous cell carcinomas, with the clinical stages of 1A in 13 patients, 2A in one patient and 2B in one patient. Among them, five patients received the radical pulmonary resection subsequently, whereas 10 patients were unable to receive it due to their poor cardiopulmonary function. Kaplan-Meier analysis of patients with lung cancer revealed that the 5-year survival rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate after 3 years from the surgery were 46.2% and 73.8%, respectively. The simultaneous resection of pulmonary tumor following cardiovascular surgery is safely performed, and is useful for the pathological diagnosis of the tumor. Further studies are warranted, however, this procedure may contribute to controlling the progression of lung cancer in patients with cardiovascular disease with comorbidities.

Role of conventional pulmonary function tests and stair climbing test in the prediction of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in non-small cell lung cancer patients after surgery

To evaluate and compare the value of stair climbing tests and conventional pulmonary function tests in the prediction of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in non-small cell lung cancer patients underwent surgery. From April 1, 2010 to Jan. 30, 2012, a total of 162 patients with thoracic carcinoma underwent stair climbing test (SCT) and conventional pulmonary function tests (PFT) preoperatively. The correlation of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications with the SCT and PFT parameters were analyzed retrospectively using chi-square test, independent sample t test and binary logistic regression analysis. Of the 162 patients, 19 without operation were excluded, due to an advanced stage (9 cases), poor cardiopulmonary function (5 cases), rejecting operation (4 cases) and exploration alone (1 case). 143 cases were eligible and evaluated eventually. Forty-one of the 143 patients (28.7%) had postoperative cardiopulmonary complications, but no death occurred. The patients were stratified into groups based on the time of stair climbing 5 stories (18.36 m, t, <92 s, ≥ 92 s). Exercise oxygen desaturation (EOD) during the stair climbing test (<5%, ≥ 5%) and the difference between the pulse at resting state and the pulse at end of stair climbing test (ΔP, <55 beats/min, ≥ 55 beats/min), respectively. The rate of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications was significantly higher in the group with t ≥ 92 s, EOD ≥ 5% and ΔP < 55 beats/min (38.5%, 42.0% and 35.1%, respectively) than that in the group with t<92 s, EOD<5% and ΔP ≥ 55 beats/min (16.9%, 21.5% and 18.2%, respectively). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative cardiopulmonary complications were independently correlated with EOD and lung function which did not meet the requirement of the lung resection operation mode. A symptom-limited stair climbing test is a safe, simple and low-cost method to evaluate the cardiopulmonary function preoperatively. It can predict the occurrence of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Conventional pulmonary function tests and stair-climbing test can be recommended to be routinely performed in all patients with non-small cell lung cancer before thoracic surgery.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy.

Anatomic segmentectomy was first described in 1939 for the treatment of benign lung conditions (1). The usual indications also include metastatic disease to the lung when ta parenchyma-sparing procedure is anticipated Nevertheless, anatomic pulmonary segmentectomy has been demonstrated to be effective in the resection of small primary lung cancers (2,3). Recently there has been a renewed interest in the use of anatomic segmentectomy, especially for patients unable to tolerate lobectomy because of poor cardiopulmonary function or severe comorbidities. Several recently published studies have shown that segmentectomy can be performed safely without compromising oncologic results (3-6).