Practice Of Thoracic Surgery Research Articles

Multicentre Validation of the RESECT-90 Prediction Model for 90-Day Mortality After Lung Resection

BackgroundThe RESECT-90 model was developed to predict 90-day mortality for patients undergoing lung resection but hasn't been externally validated. The aim of this study was to validate the RESECT-90 clinical prediction model using multicentre patient data from across the United Kingdom (UK). Materials and MethodsData from 12 UK thoracic surgery centers for patients undergoing lung resection between 2016 and 2020 with available 90-day mortality status were used to externally validate the RESECT-90 model. Measures of discrimination (area under the receiving operator characteristic curve [AUC]) and calibration (calibration slope, calibration intercept and flexible calibration plot) were assessed as measures of model performance. Model recalibration was also performed by updating the original model intercept and coefficients. ResultsA total of 12,241 patients were included. Overall 90-day mortality was 2.9% (n = 360). Acceptable model discrimination was demonstrated (AUC 0.74 [0.73, 0.75]). Calibration varied between centers with some evidence of overall model miscalibration (calibration slope 0.80 [0.66, 0.95] and calibration intercept 0.40 [0.29, 0.52]) despite acceptable appearances of the flexible calibration plot. The model was subsequently recalibrated, after which all measures of calibration indicated excellent performance. ConclusionsAfter external validation and recalibration using a large contemporary cohort of patients undergoing surgery in multiple geographical locations across the UK, the RESECT-90 model demonstrated satisfactory statistical performance for the prediction of 90-day mortality after lung resection. Whilst the recalibrated model will require ongoing validation, the results of this study suggest that routine use of the RESECT-90 model in UK thoracic surgery practice should be considered.

Predictive model for intraoperative decision-making in video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy: optimizing chest drain placement for high-risk patients.

For years, it has been the common and widely accepted practice in thoracic surgery to place apical and basal drains after a lobectomy to completely drain the pleural cavity. With the development of thoracoscopic technology, it became apparent that the use of a single chest tube provided the same clinical results. However, sometimes tension pneumothorax occurs with the need for additional pleural drainage. The aim of this study was to develop a prognostic model to identify high risk patients intraoperatively and to insert additional pleural drainage to prevent the development of pneumothorax after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. This was a retrospective multicenter study of patients (registry data was analyzed) who underwent VATS lobectomy via a standardized multiport approach between 2014 and 2022. In all cases, a single drain was used postoperatively. We used a machine learning algorithm and data synthesis to expand patient selection according to Riley's method. A total of 418 cases were analyzed in this study. After determining the prognostically significant factors, we performed a binary logistic regression analysis using reverse step-by-step inclusion of variables according to the Akaike information criterion. After validation of the model by bootstrap (400 iterations) and with the original dataset, a nomogram with a specific point distribution for each risk factor was created. The rate of tension pneumothorax was 4.53% (n=66). The most significant variables associated with the need for additional drainage were adhesions, intraoperative lung suturing, fused interlobar fissure, enlarged intrapulmonary lymph nodes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P<0.001). The C-index of the model was 0.957, the mean absolute calibration error was 0.6%, and the slope of the calibration curve was 0.959. A score of 26 points indicated a 95% risk of postoperative tension pneumothorax. The nomogram achieved good predictive performance for tension pneumothorax after minimally invasive lobectomy. High-risk patients could be identified, and additional drainage may be placed intraoperatively to reduce the risk of lung collapse in the postoperative period.

Early comparison robotic bronchoscopy versus electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy for biopsy of pulmonary nodules in a thoracic surgery practice.

Pulmonary nodules are frequently encountered in high-risk patients. Often these require biopsy which can be challenging. We relate our experience comparing use of electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) to a robotic bronchoscopy system (RB). A retrospective review of patients undergoing bronchoscopic biopsy from 2015 to 2021. The timeframe overlapped with transition from ENB using Veran SPiN system to RB using Ion system by Intuitive. Patient and nodule characteristics were collected. Primary end point was overall diagnostic yield which was defined by pathologic confirmation of malignancy or benign finding. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic yield based on overall size of nodules and need for further work up and testing. 116 patients underwent ENB or RB of 134 nodules. No perioperative complications occurred. Diagnostic yield of ENB was 49.5% (41/91 nodules) versus 86.1% (37/43 nodules) for RB. Average nodule size for ENB was 2.55cm versus 1.96cm for RB. When divided based on size, ENB had a 30% diagnostic yield for nodules 1-2cm (11/37 nodules, mean size 1.46cm) and 64% yield for nodules 2-3cm (14/22 nodules, mean size 2.38cm). RB had an 81% yield for nodules 1-2cm (mean size 1.41cm) and 100% yield for nodules 2-3cm (mean 2.3cm). RB showed superiority over ENB in early implementation trials for biopsy of suspicious pulmonary nodules. It is a safe technology allowing for increased access to all lung fields and utilization in the thoracic surgical practice will be paramount to advancing the field.

Results of an exploratory survey within ESTS membership in 2022 on current trend of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery and its training perspectives.

Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) is increasingly used in our specialty. We surveyed European Society of Thoracic Surgeons membership with the objective to determine current status of robotic thoracic surgery practice including training perspectives. A survey of 17 questions was rolled out with 1 surgeon per unit responses considered as acceptable. A total of 174 responses were obtained; 56% (97) were board-certified thoracic surgeons; 28% (49) were unit heads. Most responses came from Italy (20); 22% (38) had no robot in their institutions, 31% (54) had limited access and only 17% (30) had full access including proctoring. Da Vinci Xi was the commonest system in 56% (96) centres, 25% (41) of them had dual console in all systems, whereas RATS simulator was available only in half (51.18% or 87). Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was the most commonly adopted surgical approach in 81% of centres (139), followed by thoracotomy in 67% (115) and RATS in 36% (62); 39% spent their training time on robotic simulator for training, 51% on robotic wet/dry lab, which being no significantly different to 46-59% who had training on VATS platform. There was indeed huge overlap between simulator models or varieties usage; 52% (90) reported of robotic surgery not a part of training curriculum with no plans to introduce it in future. Overall, 51.5% (89) responded of VATS experience being helpful in robotic training in view of familiarity with minimally invasive surgery anatomical views and dissection; 71% (124) reported that future thoracic surgeons should be proficient in both VATS and RATS. Half of the respondents found no difference in earlier chest drain removal with either approach (90), 35% (60) reported no difference in postoperative pain and 49% (84) found no difference in hospital stay; 52% (90) observed better lymph node harvest by RATS. Survey concluded on a positive response with at least 71% (123) surgeons recommending to adopt robotics in future.

Segmentation of Pneumothorax on Chest CTs Using Deep Learning Based on Unet-Resnet-50 Convolutional Neural Network Structure

Objective: Pneumothorax refers to an abnormal accumulation of air in the pleural cavity. This condition is significant in terms of health and can provide a life-threatening risk, particularly when it is extensive or occurs alongside other medical conditions. Nevertheless, the scarcity of work on chest CT segmentation arises from the challenge of acquiring pixel-level annotations for chest X-rays. This paper presents and assesses a deep learning approach utilizing the Unet-Resnet-50 convolutional neural network architecture for accurately segmenting pneumothoraces on chest computed tomography (CT) images. Methods: We employed a private dataset including 2627 manually annotated slices obtained from 16 patients. We assessed the model's performance by measuring the dice similarity coefficient (DSC or F1 score), accuracy, area under the curve (AUC), precision, and recall on both the validation and test sets. Results: The binary accuracy of the test set was 0.9990; the precision was 0.9681; and the DSC was 0.9644. Although it contains less data (16 patients), we found that our deep learning-based artificial intelligence model has effective and compatible results with the literature. Conclusion: Deep learning models that will be used to detect common pathologies in thoracic surgery practice, such as pneumothorax, to determine their localization and size, will provide faster diagnosis and treatment to patients, and especially improve radiology workflow.

Application Progress of Shared Decision Making Model in Patients with Thoracic Cancer

As a new diagnosis and treatment decision-making model, shared decision making (SDM) can effectively solve the problem of patient compliance in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic tumors, balance the status of both doctors and patients, and gradually get attention and application in the clinical practice of thoracic surgery. The application of SDM in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic tumors is conducive to improve doctors' diagnosis and treatment level and alleviating the pressure of responsibility, reduce patients' psychological pressure and improve patients' compliance and also improve medical trust and reduce doctor-patient conflict. Due to the limited medical literacy and autonomy of patients, the time for diagnosis and treatment is short due to the imbalance of doctor-patient ratio. Meanwhile, due to the limited sample size of existing studies, SDM model cannot be proved to have a clear gain for the treatment of thoracic tumors, and the implementation of SDM model still faces resistance. In the future, the development of auxiliary decision-making system and the improvement of doctors' humanistic care ability will be conducive to promote the practical application of SDM model in thoracic surgery. .

A 20-Year Update on the Practice of Thoracic Surgery in Canada: A Survey of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons.

This study provides an update to a landmark 2004 report describing demographics, training, and trends in adherence to thoracic surgery practice standards in Canada. An updated questionnaire was administered to all members of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons via email (n=142, compared to n=68 in 2004). Our report incorporates internal data from Ontario Health and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Forty-eight surgeons completed the survey (male, 70.8%; mean±standard deviation age, 50.3±9.3 years). This represents a 33.8% response rate, compared to 64.7% in 2004. Most surgeons (69%) served a patient population of over 1 million per center; 32%-34% reported an on-call ratio of 1:4-1:5 days, and the average weekly hours worked was 56.4±11.9. Greater access to dedicated geographic units per center (73% in 2021 vs. 53% in 2004) has improved thoracic-associated services and house staff, notably endoscopy units (100% vs. 91%), with 73% of respondents having access to both endobronchial and endoscopic ultrasound. Access to thoracic radiology has also improved, particularly regarding positron emission tomography scanners per center (76.9% vs. 13%). Annual case volumes for lung (255 vs. 128), esophageal (41 vs. 19), and mediastinal resections (30 vs. 13), along with hiatal hernia repair (45 vs. 20), have increased substantially despite reports of operating room availability and radiology as rate-limiting steps. This survey characterizes compliance with current practice standards, addressing the needs of thoracic surgeons across Canada. Over 85% of respondents were aware of the 2004 compliance paper, and 35% had applied for resources and equipment in response.

An overview on the principles of management of haemoptysis.

Haemoptysis is a frequently encountered presentation in thoracic surgery practice. Most of the patients present with chronic haemoptysis while 5% of them will present with life-threatening acute haemoptysis. Emergency surgery used to be the first-line management in acute life-threatening haemoptysis which resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. With advancements in interventional procedures, most of these acute presentations are now being managed conservatively by interventionists. In a country like India with a high incidence of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases of the lungs, haemoptysis is even more common. While interventional procedures help to tide over the crisis and earn valuable time to stabilise a haemorrhaging patient, surgical resection is the definitive management most of the time. This review will endeavour to establish the definition, aetiology, emergency, and definitive management of a patient who presents with haemoptysis.

Robotic navigational bronchoscopy in a thoracic surgery practice: Leveraging technology in the management of pulmonary nodules

ObjectivesRobotic navigational bronchoscopy is increasingly used to improve diagnostic yield for pulmonary nodules compared with the 50% to 60% obtained by standard bronchoscopy; however, safety and efficacy data are limited to small series. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic yield and clinical outcomes in a large multisurgeon single-center cohort. MethodsAll patients who underwent robotic navigational bronchoscopy and biopsy from September 2020 to October 2022 were identified from a prospective institutional registry. The primary outcome was diagnostic yield. The secondary outcome was diagnostic yield for molecular testing. ResultsA total of 503 nodules were biopsied during the study period. Median nodule size was 2.1 cm. Overall diagnostic yield was 87.9%. Factors associated with increased diagnostic yield were decreased time from date of planning computed tomography to procedure date (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P = .04) and greater nodule size (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07; P = .02) per 0.1-cm increment. Molecular analysis was sent in 101 patients and was sufficient in 90% of cases. Complications occurred in 22 (5%) patients, including 13 (3.1%) with pneumothoraxes (7 patients requiring a chest drain), and 5 (1.2%) patients had bleeding requiring intraprocedural bronchial intervention. A total of 41 patients were consented for biopsy and resection during a single anesthetic event. Four of these cases were stopped at robotic navigational bronchoscopy due to an alternative diagnosis. Mean length of stay was 3.4 ± 1.1 days. There were no major complications. ConclusionsThis study suggests robotic navigational bronchoscopy has a high diagnostic yield and obtains adequate tissue for molecular analysis critical for selection of targeted therapies. With careful patient selection robotic navigational bronchoscopy can be combined with surgery to treat lung cancer as a single procedure with low complication rates.

Is there variation between hospitals within each region in postoperative mortality for lung cancer surgery in France? A nationwide study from 2013 to 2020.

The practice of thoracic surgery for lung cancer is subject to authorization in France. We evaluated the performance of hospitals using 30-day post-operative mortality as a quality indicator, estimating its distribution within each region and measuring its variability between regions. All data for patients who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer in France (2013-2020) were collected from the national hospital administrative database. Thirty-day mortality was defined as any patient who died in hospital (including transferred patients) within the first 30 days after the operation and those who died later during the initial hospitalization. The Standardized Mortality ratio (SMR) was the smoothed, adjusted, hospital-specific mortality rate divided by the expected mortality. To describe the variation in hospital mortality between hospitals in each region, we used different commonly used indicators of variation such as coefficients of variation (CV), interquartile interval or range (IQR), extreme ratio, and systematic component of variance (SCV). In 2013-2020, 87,232 patients underwent lung resection for cancer in France. The number of deaths was 2,537, a rate of 2.91%. The median SMR of 199 hospitals was 0.99 with an IQR of 0.86 to 1.18 and a CV of 0.25. Among the regions that had the most hospitals performing lung resections for cancer, the extreme ratio was >2, which means that the maximum value is twice as high as the minimum value. The SCV between hospitals was >10 for two of these regions, which is considered indicative of very high variation. For the other regions (with few hospitals performing lung resections for cancer), the variation between hospitals was lower. Globally, the variability between regions concerning the SMR was moderate, 6% of the variance was due to differences across regions. On the contrary, the hospital volume was significantly related to the SMR (p = 0.003) with a negative linear trend, whatever the region. This work shows significant differences in the practices of the various hospitals within regions. However, overall, the variability in the 30-day mortality rate between regions was moderate. Our findings raises questions regarding the regionalization of major surgical procedures in France.

Abruzzini procedure for the treatment of bronchopleural fistulas: surgical technique description using intraoperative recording

: Despite all improvements in thoracic surgery over the last decades, chronic bronchopleural fistulas still pose a challenging disease to treat. The Abruzzini technique is often considered one of the last viable options to manage this undesirable complication. Unfortunately, surgical trainees are not regularly exposed to this procedure during their training since it is not routinely performed. Moreover, available educational resources are particularly restricted to text descriptions or illustrations. Those factors lead to insufficient training of this technique, which is fundamental to the thoracic surgery practice. In this article, we present a step-by-step description of the Abruzzini technique using an intraoperative video recorded with a rigid endoscope. This device allows improved teaching and guidance for every trainee in the operating room and grants further review for educational purposes after the surgery. The media used in the present description was collected from a surgery performed to treat a large right bronchopleural fistula, which was a result of a lung resection secondary to aspergilloma. In this case, an approach through the pleural cavity would not be feasible due to several previous surgeries, so a transsternal approach was planned. The bronchus was successfully closed and the patient did not present any signs of recurrence, with over 1 year of follow-up.

Estimating revenue, costs, and operating margin of any hospital-based thoracic surgery practice using a novel financial model

ObjectiveThe study objective was to develop a generalizable financial model that estimates payor-specific reimbursements associated with anatomic lung resections for any hospital-based thoracic surgery practice. MethodsMedical records of patients who presented to the thoracic surgery clinic and eventually underwent an anatomic lung resection from January 2019 to December 2020 were reviewed. The volume of preoperative and postoperative studies, clinic visits, and outpatient referrals was measured. Neither subsequent studies nor procedures from outpatient referrals were captured. Diagnosis-related group, cost-to-charge ratios, Current Procedural Terminology Medicare payment data, and Private:Medicare and Medicaid:Medicare payment ratios were used to estimate payor-specific reimbursements and operating margin. ResultsA total of 111 patients met inclusion criteria and underwent 113 operations: 102 (90%) lobectomies, 7 (6%) segmentectomies, and 4 (4%) pneumonectomies. These patients underwent 554 total studies, received 60 referrals to other specialties, and had 626 total clinic visits. The total charges and Medicare reimbursement were $12.5 M and $2.7 M, respectively. After adjusting for a 41% Medicare, 2% Medicaid, and 57% Private payor mix, the total reimbursement was $4.7 M. With a 0.252 cost-to-charge ratio, total costs and operating income were $3.2 M and $1.5 M, respectively (ie, 33% operating margin). Average reimbursement per surgery by payor was $51k for Private, $29k for Medicare, and $23k for Medicaid. ConclusionsFor any hospital-based thoracic surgery practice, this novel financial model can calculate both overall and payor-specific reimbursements, costs, and operating margin across the full perioperative spectrum. By manipulating hospital name, hospital state, volume, and payor mix, any program can gain insights into their financial contributions and use the outputs to guide investment decisions.

Gender differences in Medicare payments to cardiothoracic surgeons in 2019.

The STS Thoracic Surgery Practice and Access Task Force - 2019 Workforce Report noted gender-based differences in the income of cardiothoracic surgeons in the United States. We analysed the 2019 Medicare payment data for thoracic and cardiac surgeons to investigate the gender-based payment gap among cardiothoracic surgeons. The 2019 Medicare Physician and Other Practitioners by Provider and Services data set merged with the Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File was utilized to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of gender differences in Medicare payments, numbers of services, unique billing codes, years in practice, Medicare beneficiary age, regional population density (rural-urban commuting area code) and patient panel complexity (hierarchical condition category) for providers. The providers' self-reported gender (women or men) and provider type (thoracic surgery or cardiac surgery) were binarily set according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services standards. Independent analyses were performed with thoracic and cardiac surgeons. We also used the 2013 and 2016 Medicare Physician and Other Practitioners by Provider and Services data sets to analyse the trends in adjusted gender-based payment differences across 2013, 2016 and 2019. After controlling for the covariates, women thoracic surgeons received $25,183.50 [95% confidence interval (CI) $16,307.60, $34,059.40] less than the mean Medicare payment than men thoracic surgeons. Likewise, women cardiac surgeons received $20,960 [95% confidence interval (CI) $1,014.80, $40,902.80] less than the mean adjusted Medicare payment than their men counterparts. In 2019, women cardiothoracic surgeons received a significantly lower mean Medicare payment than men cardiothoracic surgeons after controlling for the number of services, unique billing codes, the complexity of the patient panel, years in practice and regional population density. The payment gap between women and men exhibited no statistically significant change over 2013, 2016 and 2019.Future studies are warranted to understand the association between gender representation and the pay gap.

Surgical approaches to mediastinal cysts: clinical practice review.

The traditional approach to mediastinal cyst and mass resection has been open via median sternotomy or thoracotomy. With the advent of minimally invasive techniques, there have been successful cases completed via video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) and robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS). Although mediastinal cysts are uncommon, they are a significant and relevant topic in the practice of thoracic surgery. Thus, this clinical practice review aims to summarize and highlight some of the key case series and retrospective studies in order to provide insight on each of the approaches. In addition, there is a brief review of other approaches, such as subxiphoid, and the utility of endobronchial ultrasound in the management of mediastinal cysts. In this review, the identified benefits of VATS and RATS lie largely in quality improvement of the patient experience-decreased length of stay (LOS) and pain-without compromising patient outcomes. However, the open approach remains a viable option, particularly for the management of large cysts or as a bail-out option. When surgeons approach with VATS or RATS and encounter bleeding or difficult dissection planes, it is consistent in the literature that conversion to thoracotomy is the safe next step. Our clinical practice is to attempt VATS or RATS approach for mediastinal cysts when possible. The data used for this review relies heavily on case reports and case series, and thus is the main limitation of this clinical practice review.

Short-Term Outcomes of Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy-guided Resection and Anastomosis Control in Thoracic Surgery.

In thoracic surgery practice, bronchial closure and anastomosis are relatively easy in technical terms; however, it is also the procedure that is most open to the development of complications with high morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of simultaneous evaluation of bronchial closure under fiberoptic bronchoscopy guidance during lung resection on the development of complications. Patients aged over 18 years who underwent elective lung resection in our clinic between 2017 and 2021 were included in the study. Postoperative complications were recorded and statistically analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 61.4±10.4 years, and 267 patients were male (75.4%) and 87 (24.6%) were female. Thoracotomy was performed in 258 (72.9%) patients and lung resection with the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery technique in 96 (27.1%) patients. During the follow-up, complications were observed during the first 30 days in 78 (22.0%) of the patients and later in 9 (2.5%). Surgical mortality occurred in 11 patients (3.1%), and the rate of readmission to the intensive care unit was 5.6% (n=20). We consider that the control of the resection line with the active use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy during surgery is important for the prevention of the development of bronchial morbidity. Complications in the early period can be reduced by ensuring that the remaining bronchus is not narrowed, there are no residual stump structures that may disrupt the bronchial line, such as cartilage, and bronchial washing is frequently undertaken.

2022 Canadian Surgery Forum Sept. 15–17, 202201. Operative classification of ventral abdominal hernias: new and practical classification02. Watchful waiting for large primary splenic cysts03. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks with and without dexamethasone in colorectal surgery04. What factors determine publication of resident research day projects?05. Characterization of near-infrared imaging and indocyanine green use amongst general surgeons06. Variation in opioid prescribing

# 01. Operative classification of ventral abdominal hernias: new and practical classification {#article-title-2} Ventral hernias of the abdomen are defined as a noninguinal, nonhiatal defect in the fascia of the abdominal wall. Unfortunately, there is not currently a universal classification system

Thoracic surgery in Brazil: an overview.

Brazil is an emerging country with continental proportions, being one of the largest in the world. As big as its territory, are the complexities and singularities within it. Brazilian thoracic surgery reflects the picture of this unique giant, with all its virtues and problems. This peculiar framework of thoracic surgery in Brazil unfolds that the surgeons are usually well trained and can perform this specialty with technical and scientific excellence, making the country to play a true major role in Latin American thoracic surgery. Nevertheless, the chronic social imbalance present in every aspect of the Brazilian daily life hampers this ultra-specialized workforce to be equally and universally available for every citizen, in every corner of the country. Lung transplantation and minimally invasive approaches (including robotics) are performed by many surgeons with good results, comparable to those observed in high-income countries from North America, Europe and Asia. However, these procedures are still performed more often in centers of academic excellence, located at the main cities of the country, which also reflects an unequal access to these approaches within the Brazilian territory. The aim of this paper is to present a broad overview of the practice of general thoracic surgery in Brazil, as well as its main idiosyncrasies.

Thoracoscopic Versus Open Lobectomy After Induction Therapy for Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer: New Study Results and Meta-analysis.

The use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has become a mainstay of modern thoracic surgery practice and the technique of choice for resection of early-stage lung cancers. However, the benefits of VATS following induction therapy are yet to be clarified. This study aims to assess whether VATS lobectomy achieves similar perioperative and oncologic outcomes compared to thoracotomy for nonsmall cell lung cancer after induction therapy. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 72 patients who underwent lung lobectomy after induction therapy in our institution from January 2017 to January 2020. Subsequently, we carried out a comprehensive literature search and pooled our results with available data from previously published studies to perform a meta-analysis. VATS was associated with reduced intraoperative blood loss (P=0.05) and less perioperative complications (P=0.04) in our local institution. The meta-analysis comprised nine studies. A total of 943 patients underwent VATS and 2827 patients underwent open lobectomy. VATS was associated with significant shorter surgery duration (P<0.0001), shorter chest-tube drainage duration (P<0.0001), and shorter hospital stays (P<0.0001). Furthermore, there was significantly less perioperative complications (P=0.006) and less intraoperative blood loss (P=0.036) in the VATS group. However, there were no significant differences in 3-y overall survival and 3-y disease-free survival rates. In some selected patients undergoing induction therapy, VATS lobectomy could achieve equivalent perioperative outcomes to thoracotomy but evidence is lacking on oncologic outcomes. Further trials with a focus on oncologic outcomes and longer follow-up are required.

How effective is indocyanine green (ICG) in localization of malignant pulmonary nodules? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundVideo-Assisted and Robotic-Assisted techniques become constantly more prominent practice in thoracic surgery for lung cancer. Furthermore, the increased frequency in detection of small lung cancers makes the intra-operative identification of these cancers even more challenging. Indocyanine Green (ICG) is one of the most commonly used dyes that assists surgeons identify small lung cancers intra-operatively. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ICG in lung cancer detection.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of the literature by screening the databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and Scopus until 30th April 2022 and the first 300 articles of Google Scholar for any suitable grey literature. We included any study that investigated the effectiveness of ICG in lung cancer detection. We excluded studies that explored the use of ICG only in identification of intersegmental planes, lymph node mapping, case reports and non-English articles. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis on test accuracy studies using hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) and the bivariate random-effects models. In cases where the data for a localization technique was not sufficient for that analysis, it was presented with tables with narrative purposes. Each study was assessed for Risk of Bias (RoB) and Applicability using the QUADAS-2 tool.ResultsWe found 30 eligible studies that included a total of 1,776 patients who underwent ICG localization of pulmonary nodules. We identified three ICG localization techniques: CT-guided, endobronchial and intravenous. From the 30 studies, 13 investigated CT-guided localization, 12 explored an endobronchial method while 8 studies administered ICG intravenously the median reported success rate was 94.3% (IQR: 91.4%–100%) and 98.3% (IQR: 94%–100%) for the first two techniques respectively. Intravenous ICG lung cancer localization showed Sensitivity of 88% (95% CI: 59%–0.97%) and Specificity of 25% (95% CI: 0.04%–0.74%). There were 15.2% (150/989) patients who experienced complications from CT guided ICG localization. No ICG-related complications were reported in endobronchial or intravenous techniques.ConclusionOur study provides a comprehensive review of the literature on ICG localization techniques for lung cancer. Current evidence suggests that ICG is boh effective and safe. Further prospective research with standardized protocols across multiple thoracic units is required in order to accurately validate these findings.

BRONCHO-PLEURAL FISTULA AS A COMPLICATION OF A PNEUMONECTOMY AND ITS MANAGEMENT WITH A PECTORAL FLAP: A CASE REPORT

INTRODUCTION: Broncho-pleural stula (BPF) is one of the most serious complications that can occur in patients undergoing lung resection surgery. Its incidence is estimated at 1.5-11.1%. A 55-CASE REPORT: year-old male patient was admitted to the internal medicine area of the hospital for presenting a chronic injury to the right chest, through which he expels air and mucous secretions. He does not report pain, difculty breathing, or fever; during examination, his vital signs are normal. He presents discrete right mid-basal hypoventilation, without dullness in the area; there is evidence of a wound dehiscence area from a probable mini-thoracotomy in the anterior region of the right chest, where it presents sero- purulent material at the site of insertion of the thoracic catheter 17 months ago, not fetid. ItDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: is common practice in thoracic surgery to cover the bronchial stump in high-risk patients with viable tissue in an attempt to minimize the incidence of BPF. Some authors found that the pectoral ap is a viable option due to the scarcity of viable intrathoracic aps. The patient reported in this case had a bronchopleural stula, a complication of a pneumonectomy, for more than a year; in this particular case, surgery was considered necessary.