Objective To investigate clinical outcomes of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and summarize our preliminary experience. Methods Clinical data of 60 consecutive patients who underwent complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy in General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command from March 2010 to August 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 37 male patients and 23 female patients with their median age of 52.1 （17-77） years. There were 7 patients undergoing left upper lobectomy， 19 patients undergoing left lower lobectomy， 12 patients undergoing right upper lobectomy， 3 patients undergoing right middle lobectomy， 17 patients undergoing right lower lobectomy， and 2 patients undergoing combined right middle and lower lobectomy. Results The average operation time was 161 （50-270） minutes， average intra-operative blood loss was 310 （50-800） ml， average number of lymph node dissection was 13.4 （6-29）， average postoperative thoracic drainage was 950 （250-2 800） ml， average duration of thoracic drainage was 4.6 （3-11） days， average intensive care unit stay was 1.2 （1-3） days， and average postoperative hospital stay was 7.7（4-14） days. None of the patients had any severe postoperative complication. Fifty-two patients were followed up for 7 to 24 months， and 8 patients were lost during follow-up. During follow-up， 5 patients had lung cancer metastases， including 2 patients with mediastinal lymph node metastases and 3 patients with distant metastases. After chemoradiotherapy，3 patients lived well but 2 patients died. None of the other patients had any severe complication during follow-up. Conclusion Complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is a safe and effective surgical strategy for patients with benign or malignantpulmonary disease.
ObjectiveTo explore clinical strategies of early diagnosis and treatment of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN), and define the importance of biological tumor markers, preoperative CT-guided localization with the combination of methylene blue and hookwire system, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)for early diagnosis and treatment of SPN. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed clinical records of 70 SPN patients in Department of Thoracic Surgery of Taixing People's Hospital from January 2011 to February 2014. There were 33 male and 37 female patients with their age of 32-87 (59.74±2.04)years. Preoperatively, patients' medical history, heart, lung, liver and kidney function, sputum cytology and bronchoscopic biopsy results were combined with biological tumor markers to make a preliminary differential diagnosis between benign or malignant SPN and surgical risk evaluation. For SPN less than 1 cm or too small for accurate intraoperative localization, CT-guided localization with the combination of methylene blue and hookwire system was routinely performed half an hour before the operation. For SPN large enough for accurate intraoperative localization, wedge resection of SPN and surrounding lung tissue was directly performed with VATS. Intraoperative frozen-section examination of resected lung specimens was preformed. If the pathological diagnosis was malignant, conventional VATS lobectomy/segmentectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed. If the pathological diagnosis was benign, the operation was then completed. Long-term follow-up was performed for SPN patients, especially patients with early-stage lung cancer. ResultsThere was no in-hospital death or postoperative bronchopleural fistula in this study. Postoperatively, there were 2 patients with pneumonia, 3 patients with pneumothorax and 1 patient with wound infection, who were all cured or improved after proper treatment. Among the 70 patients, 11 patients acquired pathological diagnosis via preoperative lung needle biopsy. Among the other 59 patients, 12 patients with eccentric SPN acquired pathological diagnosis via intraoperative biopsy, and 47 patients underwent SPN resection with VATS. Pathological diagnosis included adenocarcinoma in 19 patients, squamous cell carcinoma in 9 patients, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma in 3 patients, adenosquamous carcinoma in 2 patients, inflammatory pseudotumor in 11 patients, tuberculoma in 4 patients, granuloma in 5 patients, sclerosing hemangioma in 2 patients, lung metastasis from breast cancer in 1 patient, lung metastasis from colon cancer in 1 patient, lung metastasis from thyroid cancer in 1 patient, and lung metastasis from stomach cancer in 1 patient. All the 70 patients (100%)were followed up for a mean duration of 2-34 months, and there was no late death during follow-up. One patient with adenocarcinoma of the right upper lobe had cerebral metastasis 18 months after operation, and had been receiving radiotherapy. All the other patients had a good quality of life. ConclusionAbove clinical strategies are accurate for early diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of SPN with good postoperative recovery and short-term outcomes.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of total thoracoscopic lobectomy for patients with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The clinical data of 138 NSCLC patients from January 2013 to June 2015 in Shaanxi People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 88 males and 50 females with an average age of 57.4±8.8 years, ranging from 44 to 76 years. According to the operation methods, they were divided into a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) group (thoracoscopic lobectomy in 63 cases) and a thoracotomy group (conventional open chest surgery in 75 cases). The intra- and postoperative clinical data, surgical complications and pulmonary function were compared. Results There was no significant difference in the operation time, intraoperative lymph node dissection groups, intraoperative lymph node dissection number between two groups (P>0.05). The blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, duration of postoperative analgesia, Numeric Rating Scale for pain and hospital stay in the VATS group were significantly lower than those of the thoracotomy group (P<0.05). The pre- and postoperative FVC%pred and FEV1%pred in both groups were compared and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). However the postoperative FVC%pred and FEV1%pred in both groups significantly reduced compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05). Complication rate of thoracoscopic group was significantly less than that of the thoracotomy group (20.63%vs. 32.00%,χ2=3.974,P=0.046). Conclusion Thoracoscopic lobectomy for NSCLCⅠ/Ⅱpatients is reliable, and achieves rapid postoperative recovery as well as less complications.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of closed thoracic drainage with single tube or double tubes after video-assisted thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery.MethodsRetrospective analysis was performed on 50 patients (39 males, 11 females) who underwent three-port thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery in our hospital from January 2013 to March 2019. Twenty-five patients with single indwelling tube after surgery were divided into the observation group and 25 patients with double indwelling tubes were divided into the control group.ResultsThere was no significant difference in pulmonary retension on day 3 after surgery, postoperative complications, the patency rate of drainage tube before extubation, retention time or postoperative hospital stay (P>0.05). Postoperative pain and total amount of nonsteroidal analgesics use in the observation group was less than those in the control group (P<0.05). ConclusionIt is safe and effective to perform closed thoracic drainage with single indwelling tube after video-assisted thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery, which can significantly reduce the incidence of related adverse drug reactions and facilitate rapid postoperative rehabilitation with a reduction of postoperative pain and the use of analgesic drugs.
Abstract： Objective To investigate strategies for prevention，early diagnosis，and prompt treatment for acute pulmonary embolism（PE）after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery（VATS）lobectomy. Methods From January 2007 to November 2010, 1 115 patients with lung cancer underwent VATS lobectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College. Among them, 13 patients had acute PE postoperatively, including 6 male patients and 7 female patients with their mean age of 62.3 years（ranging from 42 to 73 years）.All the patients were diagnosed by spiral CT pulmonary artery angiography（SCTPA）, and received anticoagulation therapy with low molecular weight heparin and warfarin. Results The incidence of acute PE after VATS lobectomy was 1.17%（13/1 115）, and the patients with low PE-related early mortality risk accounted for a large proportion（11/13）. There were 12 patients with right-side PE. All the patients’ signs and symptoms were significantly alleviated after administration of anticoagulation therapy. Nine patients received SCTPA review after treatment which showed that their PE had disappeared or been significantly absorbed. No hematological complications including thoracic hemorrhage or wound errhysis occurred after treatment. All surviving patients were followed up for 1 month to 3 months. During follow-up, these patients were alive without PE recurrence. Conclusion SCTPA is the first-choice examination for the diagnosis of acute PE after VATS lobectomy. Prophylaxis against PE and prompt treatment are necessary depending on individual manifestations. VATS lobectomy should be favored as a minimally invasive surgical treatment for patients with lung cancer, for the low incidence of postoperative PE and low PE-related early mortality risk.
Mini-invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been employed in diagnosis and treatment of esophageal diseases for about 10 years. The potential advantages of VATS over thoracotomy are reduction of chest pain just after the operation and in the long run, lower incidence of postoperative respiratory complications, and reduction of aesthetic sequelae. Thoracoscopic staging of esophageal cancer is to evaluate the invasion and metastasis of cancer, which is helpful for better selection of patients for appropriate treatment .Operation of esophageal cancer with VATS is prescribed mainly in the early stage of carcinoma, but it’s application is restricted due to the multiple sites of operation and complexity of procedures. VATS for benign esophageal diseases such as esophageal leiomyoma and achalasia is becoming the preferable choice of operation in qualified medical centers.
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy of two procedures in thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor resection. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the 910th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force from October 2016 to January 2024. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical approach: a modified approach group (bilateral intercostal ports+two subcostal ports) and a classic subxiphoid approach group (one subxiphoid port+two subcostal ports). Perioperative data and postoperative improvement of myasthenia gravis (MG) subgroup were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 55 patients were included, including 27 males and 28 females with a mean age of (49.4±15.1) years. There were 23 patients in the modified approach group and 32 patients in the classic subxiphoid approach group. The modified approach group had shorter operation time [(129.0±20.5) min vs. (148.9±16.7) min, P<0.001], less intraoperative blood loss [(63.0±16.6) mL vs. (75.0±10.8) mL, P<0.001], shorter postoperative drainage tube removal time [(3.1±0.4) d vs. (3.9±0.6) d, P<0.001] and shorter postoperative hospital stay [(4.2±0.4) d vs. (5.0±0.6) d, P<0.001), and lower proportion of intraoperative cardiac dysfunction [4 (17.4%) vs. 14 (43.8%), P=0.040]. There was no statistical difference in maximum diameter of tumor resected [(4.5±1.7) cm vs. (4.0±0.9) cm, P=0.193] and postoperative drainage volume [(396.4±121.5) mL vs. (399.9±161.3) mL, P=0.932]. There was 1 patient of perioperative collateral injury in the modified approach group (pericardial injury), and 6 patients in the classic subxiphoid approach group (1 patient of diaphragm injury, 1 patient of liver contusion, 4 patients of pericardial injury). There was no statistical difference in pain scores at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after surgery (P>0.05). The postoperative improvement of MG symptoms in the modified approach group was better than that in the classic subxiphoid approach group at 1 year after surgery (complete stable remission rate: 77.8% vs. 50.0%; effective rate: 100.0% vs. 91.6%). No conversion to open chest surgery occurred in either group, and there were no postoperative rehospitalizations or deaths related to surgery within 30 days after surgery in both groups. ConclusionThe modified approach is safe and controllable with more open surgical field and more reliable complete resection range than the classic subxiphoid approach group.
Objective To systematically evaluate the difference in clinical outcomes between subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SVATS) and intercostal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (IVATS) for anterior mediastinal tumor resection. Methods Online databases including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Sinomed, CNKI, Wanfang from inception to December 19, 2022 were searched by two researchers independently for literature comparing the clinical efficacy of SVATS and IVATS in treating anterior mediastinal tumors. Two researchers independently screened literature and extracted relevant data. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3. ResultsA total of 12 studies with 1 517 patients were enrolled. NOS score≥6 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the IVATS, SVATS had less blood loss (MD=?17.76, 95%CI ?34.21 to ?1.31, P=0.030), less total postoperative drainage volume (MD=?70.46, 95%CI ?118.88 to ?22.03, P=0.004), shorter duration of postoperative drainage tube retention (MD=?0.84, 95%CI ?1.57 to ?0.10, P=0.030), lower rate of postoperative lung infections (OR=0.33, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.70, P=0.004), lower postoperative 24 h VAS pain score (MD=?1.95, 95%CI ?2.64 to ?1.25, P＜0.001) and 72 h VAS pain score (MD=?1.76, 95%CI ?2.55 to ?0.97, P＜0.001), and shorter postoperative hospital stay (MD=?1.12, 95%CI ?1.80 to ?0.45, P=0.001). There was no statistical difference in the operation time, the incidence of postoperative complications, incidence of postoperative phrenic nerve palsy or incidence of postoperative arrhythmia (P＞0.05). ConclusionSVATS for the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumors has high safety. Compared with the IVATS, the patients have less intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume, lower risk of postoperative pulmonary infection, less postoperative short-term pain, and shorter postoperative catheter duration and hospital stay, which is more conducive to rapid postoperative recovery.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube with metal support on the formation of thoracic residual cavity after uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) upper lobectomy. MethodsThe clinical data of the patients who underwent uniportal VATS upper lobectomy for lung cancer in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2021 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the type of ultrafine drainage tube used in the surgery, the patients were divided into a test group (using metal-supported multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube) and a control group (using ordinary 12F ultrafine drainage tube). The incidence of postoperative thoracic residual cavity and operation-related data were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 200 patients were enrolled, including 126 males and 74 females, with a mean age of 57.52 years. There were 90 patients in the test group, and 110 patients in the control group. The incidence of postoperative thoracic residual cavity in the test group was lower than that in the control group (P=0.045). The differences in the postoperative bedtime, postoperative visual analogue scale, postoperative analgesic pump using time, postoperative hospitalization time, times of postoperative thoracentration and drainage, postoperative drainage time and hospitalization cost between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). The incidences of postoperative lung infection, pleural effusion and atelectasis complications were lower in the test group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The differences in the preoperative anesthesia time, operation time, intraoperative bleeding and postoperative lung leakage were not statistically significant (P>0.05). ConclusionThe use of multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube with metal support can reduce the incidence of thoracic residual cavity after uniportal VATS upper lobectomy, and can reduce pain and economical burdens and the incidence of operation-related complications, accelerating the recovery of patients after surgery. The application of multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube with metal support in uniportal VATS upper lobectomy can be widely used in the clinic.
With the development of precision diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, anatomical segmentectomy has become an important surgical procedure for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. After the widespread popularization of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), the treatment of lung cancer has entered the era of minimally invasive surgery. Since it was first reported in 2012, uniportal video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy has gained increasing clinical application. Uniportal VATS is less invasive than thoracotomy and traditional VATS. At present, the main research hotspots around uniportal video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy include specific indications, short-term and long-term efficacy, and learning curve. This article will introduce the characteristics, indications and surgical techniques of this procedure, then summarize and discuss the latest research progress of uniportal video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy based on the latest evidence-based evidence.