Anatomic lung resections for benign pulmonary diseases by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

PURPOSE: Based on increasing evidence of its benefits regarding perioperative and oncologic outcome, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has gained increasing acceptance in the surgical treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the evidence for a VATS approach in anatomic lung resection for benign pulmonary diseases is still limited. METHODS: Between March 2011 and May 2014, data from 33 and 63 patients who received VATS anatomic lung resection for benign diseases (VATS-B) and early stage NSCLC (VATS-N), respectively, were analyzed retrospectively. For subgroup analyses, VATS-B was subdivided by operation time and underlying diseases. Subgroups were compared to VATS-N. RESULTS: Three patients from VATS-B and four from VATS-N experienced conversion to open surgery. Causes of conversion in VATS-B were intraoperative complications, whereas conversions in VATS-N were elective for oncological concerns (p < 0.05). Operation time and duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation were longer by tendency; postoperative stay on intensive care unit and chest tube duration were significantly longer in VATS-B. Subgroup analyses showed a longer operation time as a predictor for worse perioperative outcome regarding postoperative mechanical ventilation, postoperative stay on intensive care unit, chest tube duration, and length of hospital stay. Patients with longer operation time suffered from more postoperative complications. Differences in perioperative outcome data were not significantly dependent on the underlying benign diseases compared to VATS-N. CONCLUSIONS: VATS is feasible and safe in anatomic lung resection for benign pulmonary diseases. Not the underlying disease, but a longer operation time is a factor for worse postoperative outcome.

A standardized technique of systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) leads to a high rate of nodal upstaging in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: A substantial part of the oncologic surgical procedure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is systematic lymph node dissection (sLND). However, controversies still exist regarding the quality of minimally invasive (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, VATS) sLND in oncologic resections. The rate of stage migration from clinical to pathological N-status has been discussed as one parameter for the quality of sLND. METHODS: Between March 2011 and May 2014, seventy-seven patients (62 male, 15 female) were scheduled for anatomical lung resection and sLND by VATS for clinical stage I (UICC 7th edition) NSCLC. Preoperative staging was performed by [18F]-fluorodesoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). Patient data were retrospectively analyzed with regard to divergence in clinical and pathological N-factor. FDG-PET/CTs of patients with lymph node (LN) upstaging after VATS resections were blindly re-evaluated by an experienced radiologist. RESULTS: In FDG-PET/CT, preoperative tumor stage was cT1N0M0 in 41 (53.2%) and cT2aN0M0 in 28 (36.4%) patients. In six (7.8%) patients the primary tumor was not suspicious for malignancy, and in two (2.6%) patients the tumor was not evaluable due to prior wedge resection before FDG-PET/CT. Thirty-one (40.3%) left-sided and 46 (59.7%) right-sided pulmonary resections with sLND were performed; 19.57 ± 0.99 LNs were dissected. In 13 (16.9%) patients a nodal stage migration from preoperative clinical to postoperative pathological N-stage was observed [cN0 to pN1 in 9 (11.7%) and cN0 to pN2 in 4 (5.2%) cases]. In correlation to the clinical T-factor, the rate of N-factor upstaging for cT1 was 12.2% and for cT2a was 28.6%, respectively. In 50% of the patients with postoperative nodal staging shift, no changes were observed on re-evaluation of the preoperative FDG-PET/CT. CONCLUSION: In this series of clinical stage I NSCLC patients, the rate of nodal stage migration after sLND by VATS is higher than previously reported. Prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to prove the oncologic quality of a sLND by VATS versus standard open approach.

Management of a solitary pulmonary arteriovenous malformation by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and anatomic lingula resection: video and review.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations are abnormal communications between the pulmonary arterial and venous vasculature leading to a right-to-left blood shunt. Based on possible complications, including hypoxemia, hemorrhage, infection and paradoxical embolism, deactivation of the malformation from the circulation is the treatment option of choice, either by interventional embolization or by surgery. Embolization is less invasive and has widely replaced surgery, but bears the risk of revascularization, recanalization and downstream migration of the device with paradoxical embolism. METHODS: We report on the case of a 76-year-old male patient suffering from a complex, plexiform pulmonary arteriovenous malformation in the lingula, which was treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and anatomic lingula resection. Patient's medical history, clinical examination and imaging studies did not reveal any evidence of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. RESULTS: Left-sided anterior three-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach was used. Instead of only wedge resecting the very peripherally located pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, the lingular vessels were controlled centrally and an anatomic lingula resection was performed in order to prevent a more central re-malformation. To prevent rupture of the aneurysm sac through pressure overload, the feeding arteries were controlled before the draining vein. Duration of the total procedure was 151 min, the single chest tube was removed on the postoperative day 3, and the patient was discharged on the postoperative day 6. CONCLUSION: Although interventional embolism of the feeding artery of a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation is the current therapeutic gold standard, minimally invasive anatomic lung resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can be considered, especially for the treatment of solitary large arteriovenous malformations. By anatomic lung resection, the risk of recanalization, collateralization and peri-interventional paradoxical embolism may be reduced.

Total video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) resection of a left-sided sulcus superior tumor after induction radiochemotherapy: video and review.

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has gained increasing acceptance for surgical therapy of early stage non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Even for extended pulmonary resections in advanced tumor stages, increasing evidence suggests feasibility and safety of the VATS approach. However, so far very little experience has been reported on VATS management of sulcus superior tumors. METHODS: We report on a 56-year-old female patient with a left-sided anterior sulcus superior adenocarcinoma (cT3 cN1 cM0), which was completely resected by VATS after induction radiochemotherapy. RESULTS: The surgical procedure was performed completely minimally invasively via a three-incision anterior thoracoscopic approach. The total operating time was 285 min (composed of 116 min for hilar lobectomy, 103 min for sulcus superior preparation and chest wall resection, and 26 min for systematic en-bloc lymph node dissection). The single chest tube was removed on postoperative day two and the patient was discharged on postoperative day six. No intraoperative and no postoperative complications were observed. Histopathology confirmed a complete (R0) resection of an ypT2aN0M0 bronchogenic adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: With increasing experience even extended pulmonary resections are safe and feasible by a video-assisted thoracoscopic approach. We propose that in sulcus superior tumors without tumor invasion of vascular structures VATS can be considered.

Patients suffering due to complicated peritonitis may not benefit from splenectomy: clinical data from a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: In this retrospective observational study, we investigated the impact of prior splenectomy on the outcome of patients with complicated peritonitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 284 subjects with severe sepsis or septic shock due to intra-abdominal infection, 27 (9.5%) had undergone splenectomy before the development of that infection and 257 (90.5%) had not undergone splenectomy. The intra-abdominal source of infection was surgically confirmed (index operation). RESULTS: The group of patients having undergone splenectomy and that of patients not having undergone the procedure were well balanced in age, gender concomitant disease, as well as medication (prior chemotherapy). Twenty-eight-day estimated mortality did not differ between groups (33.3 versus 25.7%; P = 0.39). Ninety-day estimated mortality did not differ either (57.2 versus 49.7%; P = 0.92). Overall survival was equal between the two groups. More patients having undergone splenectomy required dialysis for renal failure (74.0 versus 44.7%; P < 0.01). A Cox regression analysis left age, sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score immediately following index-surgery, and need for administration of norepinephrine exceeding 0.1 µg/kg body weight/min as potential predictors of fatal outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Our results did not support those of earlier reports suggesting that splenectomy protects against polymicrobial sepsis or septic shock. Regarding most effectiveness criteria (28- and 90-d estimated mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in ICU and in hospital), patients having undergone splenectomy fared as well as did those who had not undergone that procedure; regarding some (need for renal replacement), they fared worse. The effect of splenectomy is not large enough to be proven or ruled out with a limited number of cases.