Traditional Thoracotomy Research Articles

Effects of ultrasound-guided serratus plane block combined with general anesthesia on postoperative early quality of recovery and analgesia in patients undergoing transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundCompared to traditional thoracotomy, transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) surgery offers reduced trauma and faster recovery, fostering the adoption of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in cardiac surgery. Despite these advancements, postoperative pain management has received insufficient attention. The potential effects of multi-mode analgesia, including ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB), on postoperative pain and early quality of recovery have not been widely studied, lacking comprehensive prospective evidence. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of SAPB combined with general anesthesia on early recovery quality and analgesic efficacy in transapical TAVI patients.MethodsThis prospective, randomized controlled study will enroll 70 patients undergoing transapical TAVI, randomly allocated to either the SAPB group or the control group. The primary outcome, assessed using Quality of Recovery-40 (QOR-40) scale, focuses on the quality of recovery at 24 h and 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes include the visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at rest and during coughing at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery, frequency of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) utilization at 24 h and 48 h, opioid consumption at 24 h and 48 h, time and frequency of rescue analgesia and severe pain at 24 h and 48 h, incidence of nausea and vomiting at 48 h after surgery, and dosage of antiemetic drugs.DiscussionThe purpose of our study is to evaluate the effects of ultrasound-guided SAPB combined with general anesthesia on postoperative early quality of recovery and analgesia in transapical TAVI patients. The results obtained may provide valuable insight for the implementation of multi-mode analgesia and enhanced ERAS in this specific patient population.Trial registrationChina Clinical Trial Register ChiCTR2300068584. Registered on 24 February 2023.

Effect of sternocleidomastoid flap repair and endoscopic injection of emulsified adipose tissue stromal vascular fraction in the treatment of refractory cervical anastomotic leak contaminating mediastinum.

Mediastinal infection caused by anastomotic leak is hard to cure, mainly because the poor drainage at the site of mediastinal infection leads to persistent cavity infection, which in turn becomes a refractory mediastinal abscess cavity after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE)-McKeown. Herein, we explored sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle flaps and emulsified adipose tissue stromal vascular fraction containing adipose-derived stem-cells to address this issue. We studied 10 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent MIE-McKeown + 2-field lymphadenectomy and developed anastomotic and mediastinal leak and received new technology treatment in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2018 to March 2022. The clinical data and prognosis of the patients were collected and analyzed. A total of 5 patients received this surgery, and no other complications occurred during the perioperative period. Among the 5 patients, 1 patient was partially cured, and 4 patients were completely cured. During the follow-up 3 months postoperatively, all these 5 patients could eat regular food smoothly, and no relapse of leak and mediastinal infection occurred. The new surgical method has achieved good results in the treatment of anastomotic leak. Compared with the traditional thoracotomy, it is a less invasive and feasible surgical approach, which can be used as a supplement to the effective surgical treatment of cervical anastomotic leak contaminating the mediastinum.

Clinical effect of the internal fixation for rib fracture with single utility port complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

BackgroundsThe internal fixation for rib fracture with single-operation-port (two ports) complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a promising surgical approach for treating multiple rib fractures. The study aimed to investigate the minimally invasive surgical procedure’s clinical effect in treating multiple rib fractures.MethodsSeventy-three patients with multiple rib fractures were divided into two groups according to surgical procedure. In the study group, 42 patients were operated on with the internal fixation of rib fracture with single-operation-port complete VATS. In the control group, this study performed the open operative internal fixation for rib fracture with traditional thoracotomy on 31 patients. The surgical-related indexes were retrospectively analyzed. These included the operative time, the intraoperative blood loss, the drainage amount of the chest tube, the placement time of the chest tube, the postoperative hospital stay, the incidence of postoperative complications, the imaging efficacy of rib fixation of rib fractures, and visual analog scale of pain scoring (VAS scoring).ResultsThere was no difference in the operative time between the study and control groups (P = 0.806). The intraoperative blood loss, the chest tube drainage amount, the chest tube placement time, the postoperative hospital stay, and the incidence of postoperative complications in the study group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the imaging efficacy of rib fixation of rib fractures between the two groups (P = 0.806). VAS scores in the study group on the seventh postoperative day were significantly reduced compared with the control group (P = 0.026).ConclusionThe internal fixation for rib fractures with single-operation-port complete VATS is a feasible, safe, simple, and minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat multiple rib fractures, which is worthy of clinical application.

Outcomes following minimally invasive approaches vs. open extended lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: a propensity-matched analysis of the National Cancer Database.

Traditional thoracotomy, an invasive surgical procedure, has been the standard approach for extended lobectomy in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has gained traction with advancements in surgical techniques. Despite this, the outcomes of extended lobectomy via a minimally invasive approach remain largely uncharted. Using the comprehensive National Cancer Database (NCDB), our research aimed to clarify the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of minimally invasive extended lobectomy in patients diagnosed with NSCLC. Our study encompassed a selection of patients with NSCLC who underwent extended lobectomy (defined as lobectomy or bilobectomy with chest wall, diaphragm or pericardial resection) between 2010 and 2014. Through propensity score matching (PSM), we ensured a balanced comparison between patients who underwent MIS and those who opted for the traditional open extended lobectomy. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to discern whether the surgical approach had any significant impact on the prognosis of patients undergoing this specific procedure. Before PSM, our dataset included 3,934 patients. After 1:2 PSM, the MIS group included 683 cases, while the open group included 1,317 cases. One notable finding was the reduced average postoperative hospital stay for the MIS group at 7.15 days compared to the open group at 8.40 days (P<0.001). Furthermore, the 5-year survival rate was similar, with the MIS group at 53.1% and the open group at 51.3% (P=0.683). The results of our study suggest that MIS for extended lobectomy not only is safe and feasible but also is oncologically effective. However, it is imperative to note that these encouraging findings necessitate further validation through prospective studies to ascertain the full scope of benefits and potential risks associated with MIS.

Application of Inflatable Video-Assisted Mediastinoscopic Transhiatal Esophagectomy in Individualized Treatment of Esophageal Cancer.

Surgery is a crucial treatment option for patients with resectable esophageal cancer. The emergence of minimally invasive esophageal techniques has led to the popularity of video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy, which has proven to be more advantageous than traditional thoracotomy. However, some patients with esophageal cancer may not benefit from this procedure. Individualized treatment plans may be necessary for patients with varying conditions and tolerances to anesthesia, making conventional surgical methods unsuitable. Inflatable video-assisted mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (IVMTE) has emerged as a promising treatment option for esophageal cancer because it does not require one-lung ventilation, reduces postoperative complications, and expands surgical indications. This technique also provides surgical opportunities for patients with impaired pulmonary function or thoracic lesions. It is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the advancements and limitations of IVMTE to tailor treatment plans and improve outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer. Understanding the advantages and limitations of this surgical method will help specific patients with esophageal cancer. We conducted a thorough review of the relevant literature to examine the importance of IVMTE for individualized treatment of this disease.

Operative approaches for thymectomy: clinical characteristics and classification variant

Currently, surgical intervention is the gold standard treatment of thymus tumors. Radical removal of the thymus gland in a single block, including the tumor, adjacent lymph nodes, and surrounding tissue of the anterior mediastinum, is a prerequisite for achieving satisfactory immediate and long-term results. The need for maximum thymectomy together with anterior mediastinal fiber is attributed to the fact that, along with other long-term survival factors (stage of tumor progression and histological subtype of the tumor), 4550% of deaths in the long-term follow-up period are due to the recurrence of thymoma and 1520% are caused by a progressive course of myasthenia gravis. The results of domestic and foreign studies on the implementation of thymectomy from various surgical approaches are analyzed. These include traditional thoracotomy and sternotomy, video-assisted and robot-assisted interventions, and combined operative accesses. The data presented are based on systematic reviews, retrospective cohort studies, clinical cases, and experimental studies using text databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and eLibrary.ru. The clinical characteristics of each operative access are given with an emphasis on technical features and advantages and disadvantages of thymectomy. The immediate results of surgical treatment of patients with thymus gland neoplasms are presented. Additional methods of visualization and physical preparation of anterior mediastinal tissues are described separately, which help increase the safety and effectiveness of surgical intervention. Currently, low-traumatic video-assisted surgical interventions are widely used in thoracic surgery, gradually replacing traditional open operations. Nevertheless, the variety of proposed options for surgical access, lack of clear indications and contraindications to various interventions on the thymus gland, and discrepancies in the use of various terms determine the need to develop a modern classification of surgical accesses for performing thymectomy. Taking into account world literature data and our own experience, a classification of operative accesses for performing thymectomy is proposed.

Comparison of Efficacy and Safety Between Video- Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery and Traditional Thoracotomy in the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

Objective: To compare the therapeutic effect of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and traditional thoracotomy in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: 60 patients with esophageal cancer who were treated from February 2022 to February 2023 were randomly divided into groups. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was included in group A, and thoracotomy was included in group B. The curative effects of esophageal cancer surgery were compared. Results: All surgical indexes in group A were better than those in group B (P &lt; 0.05); interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in group A were lower than those in group B (P &lt; 0.05); the postoperative SF-36 score in group A was higher than that in group B (P &lt; 0.05); the postoperative complication rate in group A was lower than that in group B (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Video-assisted thoracoscopic treatment for patients with esophageal cancer can reduce postoperative inflammatory response and reduce surgical trauma, which is safe and efficient.

Flexible Conductive Decellularized Fish Skin Matrix as a Functional Scaffold for Myocardial Infarction Repair.

Engineering cardiac patches are proven to be effective in myocardial infarction (MI) repair, but it is still a tricky problem in tissue engineering to construct a scaffold with good biocompatibility, suitable mechanical properties, and solid structure. Herein, decellularized fish skin matrix is utilized with good biocompatibility to prepare a flexible conductive cardiac patch through polymerization of polydopamine (PDA) and polypyrrole (PPy). Compared with single modification, the double modification strategy facilitated the efficiency of pyrrole polymerization, so that the patch conductivity is improved. According to the results of experiments in vivo and in vitro, the scaffold can promote the maturation and functionalization of cardiomyocytes (CMs). It can also reduce the inflammatory response, increase local microcirculation, and reconstruct the conductive microenvironment in infarcted myocardia, thus improving the cardiac function of MI rats. In addition, the excellent flexibility of the scaffold, which enables it to be implanted in vivo through "folding-delivering-re-stretehing" pathway, provides the possibility of microoperation under endoscope, which avoids the secondary damage to myocardium by traditional thoracotomy for implantation surgery. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Enhanced recovery of postoperative nursing for single-port thoracoscopic surgery in lung cancer patients.

Lung cancer is a common clinical malignant tumor, and the number of new lung cancer patients is increasing year by year. With the advancement of thoracoscopy technology and equipment, the scope of application of minimally invasive surgery has expanded to almost all types of lung cancer resection, making it the mainstream lung cancer resection surgery. Single-port thoracoscopic surgery provides evident advantages in terms of postoperative incision pain since only a single incision is required, and the surgical effect is similar to those of multi-hole thoracoscopic surgery and traditional thoracotomy. Although thoracoscopic surgery can effectively remove tumors, it nevertheless induces variable degrees of stress in lung cancer patients, which eventually limit lung function recovery. Rapid rehabilitation surgery can actively improve the prognosis of patients with different types of cancer and promote early recovery. This article reviews the research progress on rapid rehabilitation nursing in single-port thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery.

Efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary TB

OBJECTIVE: Compared with thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has the advantage of post-operative recovery for patients undergoing surgery. However, studies comparing the efficacy of VATS with conventional traditional thoracotomy for treating patients with pulmonary TB (PTB) are inconsistent.METHODS: Five electronic databases were used to search studies on VATS and conventional thoracotomy for PTB up to 15 March 2022. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for comparison.RESULTS: A total of 14 were included. Compared with traditional thoracotomy, patients with drug-resistant TB treated using VATS had shorter operative time, less intra-operative bleeding, faster post-operative recovery and fewer post-operative complications (operation time: SMD -0.87, 95% CI -1.29 to -0.45; blood loss: SMD -1.31, 95% CI -1.71 to -0.92; duration of hospital stay: SMD -1.68, 95% CI -2.46 to -0.90; catheterisation time: SMD -1.56, 95% CI -2.39 to -0.73; post-operative complication: OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.60).CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional thoracotomy, VATS for patients with multidrug-resistant PTB undergoing lobectomy and wedge resection has the advantages of minor bleeding, shorter operative time, shorter hospital stay and post-operative pleural cavity drainage duration, and fewer post-operative complications, which can accelerate the post-operative recovery of patients.

Robotic upper lobe segmentectomy: technical pearls

: Minimally invasive approaches to segmentectomy have grown in popularity as sublobar resection has been increasingly offered as a parenchyma-sparing alternative to lobectomy for amenable lesions. Both video-assisted thoracic surgery and robotic surgery offer advantages over traditional thoracotomy, with fewer complications, shortened hospital stay, and less pain. While segmentectomy has been traditionally performed by video-assisted thoracic surgery, the robotic approach represents a growing subset of minimally invasive sublobar resections. Patient selection for robotic segmentectomy involves a standard preoperative evaluation including pulmonary function tests, cardiac evaluation, and complete staging. Preoperative axial imaging is essential in choosing patients with lesions amenable to segmentectomy, and evaluating the segmental anatomy. Safe robotic segmentectomy centers around thorough knowledge of the segmental vascular and bronchial anatomy and its variants, and preoperative imaging can help the surgeon anticipate variant anatomy intraoperatively. The operative technique generally involves a mediastinal lymph node dissection with frozen section of the N1 nodes and conversion to lobectomy if positive. The segmental resection then proceeds depending on the individual segment to be resected, but generally involves dissection and division of the vessels and bronchus, followed by division of the parenchyma along the intersegmental plane. For most patients, postoperative recovery is short and uncomplicated, with most patients being discharged on the first or second postoperative day.

Impact of Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery on the Completion of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Following Lung Cancer Resection.

Background Adjuvant chemotherapy can further improve treatment outcomes following the resection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, in practice, some patients are unable to tolerate all prescribed chemotherapy. One of the factors which may implicate adjuvant chemotherapy completion is a surgical technique. We investigated the impact of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), a form of minimally invasive surgery, on chemotherapy completion. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of NSCLC patients who underwent adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy at our institution during 2010-2020. The primary outcome of interest was chemotherapy completion, defined as receiving all 4 cycles of chemotherapy. We also performed an exploratory analysis to identify factors associated with chemotherapy completion. Results Analyses included 165 patients: 95 patients underwent traditional thoracotomy, and 70 patients underwent RATS. Baseline characteristics were comparable except for smaller tumor size and lower stage in the RATS group. Median operative time was longer in the RATS group than in the thoracotomy group: 198 vs. 139 minutes, p<0.001. Chemotherapy completion rates were not significantly different between groups: 74.3% vs. 75.8%, p=0.83, respectively. In addition, no significant difference was found in the incidences of postoperative complications between groups. In a propensity score matched analysis, there was also no difference in the chemotherapy completion rates between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that independent factors predicting completion of adjuvant chemotherapy were body mass index, postoperative complications, year of treatment, and T-stage. Conclusion In this large cohort of NSCLC patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, no association was found between surgical technique and adjuvant chemotherapy completion.

Clinical efficacy evaluation of minimally invasive cardiac surgery coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of minimally invasive cardiac surgery coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS CABG) in the treatment of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Methods: A total of 147 patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease who underwent surgical treatment in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from March 2016 to March 2019 were retrospectively selected. Of which, 69 patients were treated by MICS CABG (minimally invasive group) and 78 patients were treated using the traditional thoracotomy (traditional group). The perioperative indexes, serum myocardial enzyme indexes and renal function indexes of patients before and after operation were compared between the two groups; Two groups of patients were followed up for 2 years; the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was recorded, and survival analysis was performed. Results: The age of the patients in the minimally invasive group and the traditional group were (66.9±5.8) and (68.2±7.0) years old, respectively, and the proportions of males were 60.9% (42 cases) and 51.3% (40 cases) (all P>0.05). All patients in the two groups successfully completed the operation, and no patients in the minimally invasive group were converted to thoracotomy. Before surgery, there was no significant difference in serum cTnI, CK-MB, BUN, Scr, and creatinine clearance between the minimally invasive group and the traditional group (all P>0.05). After re-examination 48 hours after operation, the serum cTnI in the minimally invasive group was (3.109±0.664) μg/L, and the CK-MB was (18.03±3.27) U/L, which were lower than those in the traditional group (3.438±0.715) μg/L, (20.63±4.28) U/L; the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). During the 2-year follow-up, there was no statiscally significant difference in the incidence of recurrent myocardial infarction, postoperative atrial fibrillation, postoperative stroke, arrhythmia, heart failure, thrombosis, cardiac death, and MACE events between the minimally invasive group and the traditional group. Statistical significance (all P>0.05). The survival curve analysis showed that the cumulative rates of MACE events in the minimally invasive and traditional groups were 17.39% and 26.92%, respectively (P=0.171). Conclusions: The effect of MICS CABG in the treatment of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease is not much different from that of traditional open thoracotomy, but the former is less traumatic, quicker after surgery, and has clinical significance for the recovery of patients' myocardial function.

Surgical management of primary mediastinal mature teratoma: A single-center 20 years' experience.

BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in treating mediastinal mature teratoma (MMT) and explore the clinical factors that increase the difficulties associated with VATS.MethodWe retrospectively reviewed 101 consecutive patients with MMT who underwent surgical excision between November 2001 and June 2021. Follow-up was done by telephone or at an outpatient clinic. The deadline for follow-up was February 2022.ResultsThe operative time, the chest tube indwelling time, and the hospital stay duration were significantly shorter in the VATS group compared with the thoracotomy group. The intraoperative and postoperative complication rates in the VATS group were lower than that of the thoracotomy group (P < .05). In thoracoscopic surgery, the clinical symptoms during the course of the disease were significantly associated with bleeding loss increasing [odds ratio (OR) = 3.562; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.180–10.753, P = .024] and operation time extension (OR = 5.697; 95% CI 1.529–21.221, P = .010). The relationship between lesions and superior vena cava or innominate vein from preoperative CT imaging was significantly associated with bleeding loss increasing (OR = 4.629; 95% CI 1.463–14.639, P = .009). A maximal lesion diameter greater than 7 cm was significantly associated with increased risks of operation time extension (OR = 5.019; 95% CI 1.641–15.348, P = .005).ConclusionCompared with traditional thoracotomy surgery, VATS can be performed safely in selected patients with MMT. A surgical method for complete resection needs to be determined according to preoperative imaging and intraoperative conditions to reduce the unnecessary damage.

Comparative efficacy of eight therapeutic methods in the treatment of left main coronary artery disease: a Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol

IntroductionAs for coronary artery bypass grafting, although there are many direct comparative studies on different minimally invasive methods and traditional thoracotomy (off-pump/on-pump), there is still a lack of further ranking...

Application of multimodal combined surgical strategy in children with intractable laryngeal airway obstruction

Objective:To explore the selection of surgical methods and intraoperative strategies for the treatment of children with intractable laryngeal airway obstruction, and to provide new options for the diagnosis and treatment of children with intractable laryngeal airway obstruction. Methods:The clinical data of 12 children with intractable laryngeal airway obstruction treated by our team from January 2005 to December 2021 were retrospective analyzed. All the children were treated with minimally invasive surgery under rigid bronchoscope or suspension laryngoscope combined with electronic endoscope. The surgical methods included laryngeal microsurgery, plasma ablation, balloon dilatation, drug-eluting stents, laser ablation, endoscopic snare, etc. The patients were followed up after operation. Results:All patients completed the operation under general anesthesia, and there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Except for one patient with bilateral vocal cord paralysis who failed to extubation due to restenosis, the others were successfully extubated after operation. Among them, 9 cases of benign space-occupying obstruction were followed up for 5-60 months without recurrence, and 2 cases of malignant tumor-induced obstruction were followed up for 24 months（acinar cell carcinoma） and 36 months（mucoepidermoid carcinoma） without recurrence. Conclusion:Endoscopic multi-operation is effective for children with intractable obstruction. Compared with traditional thoracotomy, endoscopic multi-operation strategies has the advantages of less trauma, faster and safer. For different sizes, locations and pathological types of obstruction, different surgical equipment and methods should be combined.

Thoracic surgery in Taiwan.

Taiwanese surgeons have pioneered major advances in the field of minimally invasive thoracic surgery. Since the establishment of the Taiwan Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery [1986], the landscape of thoracic surgery has rapidly evolved from traditional thoracotomy to multi-port video-assisted thoracoscopic approaches. By early 21st century, further developments have included the single-port and subxiphoid techniques. This paper provides an overview of the Taiwanese thoracic surgery environment and its major accomplishments. With the increasing use of low-dose computed tomography for lung cancer screening, the detection of small pulmonary nodules has been growing steadily. High-end hybrid operating rooms comprising both imaging and surgical equipment are increasingly being applied in Taiwan as platforms for image-guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (iVATS). Recently, we described an iVATS workflow for simultaneous detection and removal of small pulmonary nodules which was entirely performed by thoracic surgeons. With respect to esophageal malignancies, the implementation of robot-assisted esophagectomy has been a significant milestone in Taiwan. This technique allowed conducting an extensive lymph node dissection along the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve in a safe and effective manner. With 14 medical schools and 26 medical centers located on the island, Taiwan has been able to maintain a constant doctor-to-population ratio of 1-to-500. By partnering with the National Health Insurance and by taking advantage of state-of-the-art technologies, Taiwanese thoracic surgeons are continuously striving to deliver high-quality and cost-effective surgical care.

Efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy in the treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease in the Tibetan Plateau: a retrospective study.

BackgroundAlthough video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) plays an increasingly significant part in treating thoracic disease, the role of thoracotomy is not replaced in cystic echinococcosis. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the application of VATS and traditional thoracotomy in the treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease in Shigatse of the Tibet Plateau and to compare the clinical safety and efficacy of these two surgical approaches.MethodsA total of 53 patients with pulmonary hydatid who received thoracoscopic cystectomy with needle aspiration from January 2015 to December 2020 were enrolled in the study, and 126 patients who received thoracotomy during the same period were matched as the control group. The clinical characteristics, operative time, incidence of perioperative complications, length of stay, and hospitalization cost of the VATS and thoracotomy groups were analyzed to compare the safety and efficacy. Patients were followed up through telephone and outpatient service. In order to balance potential confounding baseline factors, propensity-score matching (PSM) was applied to establish a 1:1 VATS to thoracotomy group ratio.ResultsThere were statistically significant differences between the VATS group and the thoracotomy group in operative time, blood loss, drainage volume, and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.05), with the VATS group being superior to the thoracotomy group. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications, adverse imaging outcomes, or recurrence rates between the 2 groups. In terms of complications, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative air leakage, atelectasis, or other common complications between the 2 groups, while the frequency of postoperative fever and incision infection in the thoracotomy group was significantly higher than that in the VATS group (P<0.05). Moreover, the postoperative recurrence rate between the 2 groups showed no significant difference after a 3-year follow-up.ConclusionsCompared to traditional thoracotomy, VATS had acceptable efficacy and safety and it could further accelerate postoperative recovery and reduce the cost in the treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease in the Tibetan Plateau. Thus, VATS should be promoted more widely to other Tibetan regions.

Application effect of thoracoscopic tricuspid valvuloplasty in geriatric patients with tricuspid valve disease.

BACKGROUNDThoracoscopic-assisted technology can ensure that doctors can implement minimally invasive treatment through the right intercostal incision or small incision of the lower sternum. This approach not only can achieve a cardiac correction effect equivalent to that of a thoracotomy but also has the benefit of a clear surgical field ensuring the safety of surgical treatment.AIMTo investigate the effect of thoracoscopic tricuspid valvuloplasty in patients with tricuspid valve disease. METHODSA total of 41 patients with tricuspid valve disease underwent traditional thoracotomy treatment between January 2018 and June 2020. Forty-one patients with tricuspid valve disease who underwent thoracoscopic tricuspid valvuloplasty treatment between July 2020 and June 2021 in our hospital were selected as controls for our retrospective analysis. The study group underwent thoracoscopic tricuspid valvuloplasty, while traditional thoracotomy was performed in the control group. The operation conditions (the duration of extracorporeal circulation, aorta blocking, endotracheal intubation, and surgery), inflammatory response-related indices (C-reactive protein and white blood cell count) before and after surgery, parameters related to myocardial injury (myocardial troponin T, creatine kinase isoenzyme, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase), and the incidence of adverse events in the two groups was counted. RESULTSThe duration of extracorporeal circulation (109.35 ± 50.31 min), aortic occlusion (94.26 ± 59.61 min), endotracheal intubation (12.59 ± 3.54 h), and hospital stay (5.29 ± 2.34 d) in the study group were shorter than those in the control group (114.91 ± 46.98 min, 101.37 ± 61.44 min, 13.11 ± 4.01 h, 7.09 ± 3.11 d, respectively). The difference in hospital stay between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Serum C-reactive protein level (4.69 ± 1.35 mg/L) and white blood cell count (6.21 ± 1.97 × 109/L) in the study group were found to be not significantly different than those in the control group (5.01 ± 1.18 mg/L, 5.98 ± 2.01 × 109/L, respectively; P > 0.05). Myocardial troponin T (0.04 ± 0.02 ng/mL), creatine kinase isoenzyme (4.02 ± 1.11 mg/mL), creatine kinase (91.35 ± 10.44 U/L), and lactate dehydrogenase (179.81 ± 60.04 U/L) in the study group were also not statistically significant different than those in the control group (0.05 ± 0.03 ng/mL, 3.97 ± 1.05 mg/mL, 89.69 ± 13.05 U/L, 186.35 ± 56.96 U/L; P > 0.05). After the operation, serum C-reactive protein level (7.89 ± 1.73 mg/L) and white blood cell count (10.76 ± 2.35 × 109/L) in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (9.96 ± 2.04 mg/L, 14.84 ± 3.07 × 109/L, respectively) (P < 0.05). In addition, myocardial troponin T (0.89 ± 0.32 ng/mL), creatine kinase isoenzyme (26.96 ± 4.95 mg/mL), creatine kinase (608.32 ± 202.33 U/L), and lactate dehydrogenase (282.56 ± 101.34 U/L) in the study group were lower than those in the control group (2.61 ± 0.69 ng/mL, 34.37 ± 6.87 mg/mL, 689.94 ± 214.64 U/L, 369.15 ± 114.46 U/L) (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse events in the study group (4.88%) was lower than that in the control group (19.51%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONThoracoscopic tricuspid valvuloplasty can achieve good results in treating patients with tricuspid valve disease, reduce the risk of adverse events, and promote the rapid recovery of patients.

Impact of Minimally Invasive Lung Transplantation on Early Outcomes and Analgesia Use: A Matched Cohort Study

<h3>Purpose</h3> Minimally invasive (mini) approaches to lung transplantation (LTx) offer the prospect of faster recovery compared to clamshell and traditional thoracotomy incisions. This is particularly important in the aging and increasingly frail recipient population. However, little data exist describing the impact of the surgical technique on early outcomes and analgesia use. <h3>Methods</h3> A prospectively maintained institutional registry was used to identify 98 patients who underwent LTx between 03/15/2018 and 09/15/2021. Patients who underwent LTx via median sternotomy, redo-LTx, or combined heart-LTx were excluded (n=11) leaving 24 mini-LTx and 63 traditional access patients. Propensity score matching by age, body mass index, diagnosis, lung allocation score and double vs single transplant created 24 pairs. <h3>Results</h3> Baseline demographics were similar between the mini-LTx and unmatched cohort, with median age of 64 (interquartile range (IQR) 56-71) vs 65 (IQR 55-70) years, p>0.05, respectively. Pulmonary fibrosis was the most common etiology in the mini-LTx cohort (100% vs 71%, p=0.002). After matching, mini-LTx was associated with longer warm ischemic times (65 (IQR 59-73) vs 55 (IQR 51-70) mins, p=0.01) and shorter ICU length of stay (LOS) (4.2 (IQR 2.8-5.8) vs 5.7 (IQR 2.9-10.9) days, p=0.047; Figure). There were no differences in intraoperative mechanical circulatory support use (46% vs 21%, p>0.05), operative mortality (4% vs 4%, p>0.05), duration of mechanical ventilation (29 (IQR 17-43) vs 21 (IQR 15-70) hours, p>0.05) and hospital LOS (13 (IQR 11-16) vs 14 (IQR 12-24) days, p>0.05). Postoperative epidural use and duration were similar (74% vs 83%, p>0.05; 6 (IQR 4-7) vs 7 (IQR 5-7) days, p>0.05). Numerically fewer mini-LTx patients were prescribed opiates on discharge (48% vs 74%, p=0.08). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Minimally invasive techniques in LTx demonstrate similar early outcomes compared to traditional approaches, with reduced ICU length of stay and a trend towards lower opiate use on discharge.