Thymus Surgery Prospectives and Perspectives in Myasthenia Gravis.

The thymus is a lymphoid organ involved in the differentiation of T cells, and has a central role in the physiopathogenesis of Myasthenia Gravis (MG). This connection is proved by a series of changes in the level of neuromuscular junctions, which leads to a decrease in the amplitude of the action potential in the post-synaptic membrane. Because of this, the presence of anti-cholinergic receptor antibodies (AChR), characteristic of MG, is found, which causes the progressive regression of the effect of acetylcholine at the level of neuromuscular junctions, with the appearance of muscle weakness. The thymectomy is a surgical variant of drug therapy administered to patients with MG. In the case of patients with nonthymomatous MG, thymectomy has become a therapeutic standard, despite the fact that there is no solid scientific evidence to explain its positive effect. Videothoracoscopic surgery or robotic surgery led to a decrease in the length of hospital stay for these patients. This paper aims to synthesize the information presented in the literature in order to create a background for the perspectives of thymectomy.

Impact of indocyanine green on prolonged air leak in minimally invasive segmentectomy.

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomies have become the gold standard for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer less than two centimeters. The main difficulty is the identification of intersegmental boundary lines which dictate postoperative morbidities. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study to compare the perioperative outcomes of patients who underwent minimally invasive segmentectomy using the traditional deflation-inflation method or the novel indocyanine green (ICG) technique. Using a prospectively maintained database, we performed a retrospective analysis of 197 consecutive anatomical segmentectomies, from 2020 to 2023. Clinical effectiveness, postoperative complications, and histological data were compared. RESULTS: A total of 73 (37%) patients had the inflation-deflation method and 124 (63%) had the intravenous ICG method. There were no significant differences in chest tube duration, prolonged air leak, postoperative complications, and postoperative hospital stays. Surgical margin width was also similar between the two groups. The multivariable analysis confirmed these results. Lastly, intravenous ICG brought no additional value in complex segmentectomies. CONCLUSION: This monocentric and retrospective analysis found no added value of the intravenous ICG on the perioperative results of minimally invasive segmentectomies. The place of this novel technique in the surgical armamentarium remains to be defined. Specific indications such as complex segmentectomy or patients with chronic pulmonary disease require further study.

Blood-Derived Systemic Inflammation Markers and Risk of Nodal Failure in Stage Ia Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicentric Study.

BACKGROUND: Unexpected spread to regional lymph nodes can be found in up to 10% of patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), thereby affecting both prognosis and treatment. Given the known relation between systemic inflammation and tumor progression, we sought to evaluate whether blood-derived systemic inflammation markers might help to the predict nodal outcome in patients with stage Ia NSCLC. METHODS: Preoperative levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic inflammation score (SII, platelets × NLR) were collected from 368 patients who underwent curative lung resection for NSCLC. After categorization, inflammatory markers were subjected to logistic regression and time-event analysis in order to find associations with occult nodal spread and postoperative nodal recurrence. RESULTS: No inflammation marker was associated with the risk of occult nodal spread. SII showed a marginal effect on early nodal recurrence at a quasi-significant level (p = 0.065). However, patients with T1c tumors and elevated PLR and/or SII had significantly shorter times to nodal recurrence compared to T1a/T1b patients (p = 0.001), while patients with T1c and normal PLR/SII did not (p = 0.128). CONCLUSIONS: blood-derived inflammation markers had no value in the preoperative prediction of nodal status. Nevertheless, our results might suggest a modulating effect of platelet-derived inflammation markers on nodal progression after the resection of tumors larger than 2 cm.

Comparative efficacy of methods for early diagnosis of tuberculosis pleuritis with rifampicin-resistance.

The purpose of the article was to explore the effectiveness of a complex morphological study of pleural biopsies and molecular genetic study (GeneXpert MBT/Rif) of pleural effusion in verifying the diagnosis of pleurisy of tuberculous aetiology. The participants of the study were 120 patients with a exudative pleurisy who were admitted to the department of extrapulmonary tuberculosis of the Regional Phthisiopulmonology Center (RPPC) in Aktobe (Republic of Kazakhstan) in the period from 2018 to 2020. Significant differences were obtained in the compared groups (p<0.05), which testifies to the rather high diagnostic efficiency of the GeneXpert MBT/RIF molecular genetic method in comparison with bacterioscopy in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) in pleural fluid obtained by video thoracoscopy. Using the GeneXpert method, positive results of the presence of MBT in the pleural fluid were obtained in 26.3% of patients of the main group, while in patients of the control group, MBT was detected only in 3.2% of cases by simple bacterioscopy (p<0.05). The high diagnostic efficiency of the GeneXpert express method (26.3%) is confirmed and proven by the "gold standard" of bacteriological examination of pleural fluid - the growth of MBT colonies in 24.6% of cases by the BACTEC MGIT-960 method and in 28.1% of cases of MBT growth on solid nutrient medium Lowenstein-Jensen in patients of the main group. The combination of the invasive method of video thoracoscopy diagnostics with the GeneXpert microbiological express method for detecting MBT in the pleural fluid is today, the optimal method for early diagnosis of a drug-resistant form of exudative pleurisy of tuberculous etiology.

How to facilitate concurrent lower lobectomy after coronary artery bypass grafting via median sternotomy without adding anterolateral thoracotomy?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Median sternotomy is an unfavourable approach for performing lung resection and mediastinal lymphadenectomy. Some studies have speculated that concurrent pulmonary resections other than upper lobectomy, necessitate anterolateral thoracotomy in addition to sternotomy. In this study, we aimed to discuss the feasibility and advantages of concomitant video-thoracoscopy (VATS) assisted lower lobectomy after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: We analysed 21 patients who underwent a single combined procedure that includes CABG followed by anatomical pulmonary resection and divided them into two groups: patients who underwent upper lobectomy via median sternotomy incision (Group A, n = 12) and patients who underwent lower lobectomy with video-thoracoscopic assistance (VATS) next to sternotomy incision (Group B, n = 9). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in age, sex, comorbidities, tumour side or size, tumour stage, tumour histopathology, number of dissected lymph node stations, N status, CABG type, number of grafts used, operative time, hospitalization and complication rates. CONCLUSION: The feasibility of upper lobectomies via median sternotomy is clear; however, performing lower lobectomies is challenging. In our study, we concluded that the operative feasibility of concurrent lower lobectomy by VATS assistance showed no essential difference to that of concurrent upper lobectomy by presenting that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of any studied parameters. We can speculate that median sternotomy with VATS assistance should be especially considered instead of anterolateral thoracotomy for lower lobectomies at centres where VATS lobectomies are performed.

Lobectomía por cirugía torácica videoasistida en el Centro Nacional de Cirugía de Mínimo Acceso / Lobectomy for Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery at the National Center for Minimal Invasive Surgery

Introducción: La tasa de mortalidad de los tumores malignos de tráquea, bronquios y pulmón ocupa el segundo lugar en hombres y el primero en las mujeres. Según el anuario estadístico, hubo 5580 muertes por esta causa en 2020, con una tasa de mortalidad general en los hombres de 61,6 y de 38,1 en la mujer por 100 000 habitantes. Para el tratamiento del cáncer pulmonar en estadios tempranos la cirugía torácica videoasistida ha demostrado su seguridad y efectividad, con una baja morbilidad y una menor estancia posoperatoria. Objetivo: Mostrar los resultados de la lobectomía por cirugía torácica videoasistida en el Centro Nacional de Cirugía de Mínimo Acceso. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo en una serie consecutiva de 29 pacientes operados con el diagnóstico de nódulo pulmonar. Para la obtención de la información se confeccionó una planilla de recolección para este fin y en todo momento se contó con el consentimiento informado de los pacientes. Se evaluaron las variables durante el pre, intra y posoperatorio. Resultados: Del total de 57 casos portadores de nódulos pulmonares, se realizó lobectomía por cirugía torácica videoasistida en 29, para un 50,9 por ciento; el 80 por ciento estaban en etapas I y II según el pTNM. Hubo un 31 por ciento de complicaciones y el índice de conversión fue del 20,7 por ciento. Conclusiones: La lobectomía por cirugía torácica video asistida es una técnica segura y de eficacia demostrada, factible de generalizar en nuestro medio(AU)

Introduction: The mortality rate of malignant tumors of the trachea, bronchi and lung ranks second in men and first in women. According to the Health Statistics Yearbook, there were 5,580 deaths from this cause in 2020, with a general mortality rate for men of 61.6 and 38.1 for women per 100,000 inhabitants. For the treatment of lung cancer in early stages, video-assisted thoracic surgery has demonstrated its safety and effectiveness, with low morbidity and a shorter postoperative stay. Objective: To show the results of video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy at the National Center for Minimal Invasive Surgery. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in a consecutive series of 29 patients operated on with a diagnosis of pulmonary nodule. A collection form was prepared to obtain the information and the informed consent of the patients was obtained at all times. The variables were evaluated during the pre, intra and postoperative period. Results: Fifty seven (57) cases with pulmonary nodules formed the total of this study. Twenty nine of them (29) underwent lobectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (50.9 percent). 80 percent were in stages I and II according to pTNM. There were 31 percent complications and the conversion rate was 20.7 percent. Conclusions: Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy is a safe and proven technique, which is feasible to generalize in our setting(AU)

Diagnostic methods and surgical treatment of patients with thoracoabdominal traumas (review of the literature).

Thoracoabdominal traumatism is a topical problem of modern medicine due to its wide prevalence, severe course and unfavorable outcome. This article presents an overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and surgical treatment of patients with thoracoabdominal injuries. It showed that the current incidence of thoracoabdominal injuries reaches 13.7-16.4% of all chest and abdominal injuries. Lethality in thoracoabdominal injuries ranges from 3.13% to 20%. In most cases these are patients of working age, with an average age of 27.5-34.8 years, men comprising 71.2%. Nowadays, the number of patients with thoracoabdominal injuries tends to increase in Uzbekistan and other economically developing countries of the world because of increasing transportation, construction and crime. Video-thoracoscopy and video-laparoscopy are among the widespread methods of diagnosis and treatment of thoracoabdominal traumas. According to many authors, the specificity of video-laparoscopy and video-thoracoscopy is 100%, and the sensitivity is 87.5-99.3%.

Unplanned readmission and survival after video-assisted thoracic surgery and open thoracotomy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: a 12-month nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes at 12 months between video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and open thoracotomy (OT) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using real-world evidence. METHODS: We did a nationwide propensity-matched cohort study. We included all patients who had a diagnosis of NSCLC and who benefitted from lobectomy between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2017. We divided this population into 2 groups (VATS and OT) and matched them using propensity scores based on patients' and hospitals' characteristics. Unplanned readmission, mortality, complications, length of stay and hospitalization costs within 12 months of follow-up were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 13 027 patients from 180 hospitals were included, split into 6231 VATS (47.8%) and 6796 OT (52.2%). After propensity score matching (5617 patients in each group), VATS was not associated with a lower risk of unplanned readmission compared with OT [20.7% vs 21.9%, hazard ratio 1.03 (0.95-1.12)] during the 12-months follow-up. Unplanned readmissions at 90 days were mainly due to pulmonary complications (particularly pleural effusion and pneumonia) and were associated with higher mortality at 12 months (13.4% vs 2.7%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: VATS and OT were both associated with high incidence of unplanned readmissions within 12 months, requiring a better identification of prognosticators of unplanned readmissions. Our study highlights the need to improve prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary complications in patients with VATS and OT after discharge. These findings call for improving the dissemination of systematic perioperative care pathway including efficient pulmonary physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

[Short-term results of video-assisted lung cancer surgery in octogenarians]. / Morbi-mortalité de la résection pulmonaire pour cancer par chirurgie vidéo-assistée chez l'octogénaire.

INTRODUCTION: Due to an increase in life expectancy, onco-pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons are more frequently faced with octogenarian patients with lung cancer. In this age group, treatment modalities may need to be revised because of the increasing presence of comorbidities. Surgery remains the reference treatment for early stage disease, but mortality rates and postoperative complications are higher in this group of patients. One of the solutions to reduce the operative risk would be to develop videoassisted thoracoscopic pulmonary resection surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of this form of lung cancer surgery in octogenarians. METHODS: All patients 80 years old or more who underwent videoassisted lung cancer surgery from 2014 to 2018 at Lyon University Hospital were included. Wedge resections and diagnostic procedures were excluded. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (13 men, 6 women) were included. The median age was 82 years old. All patients had undergone videoassisted lobectomy. Three patients required conversion to thoracotomy (15.8%). All patients underwent complete resection (R0). One patient had N1 lymph node involvement, all others were N0. The postoperative complication rate was 68.4%, the majority of which were grade II of the Clavien classification. Perioperative mortality was 5.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Videoassisted lung cancer resection in a selected population of octogenarians is associated with satisfactory short-term results. It is reasonable to favour minimally invasive techniques in this population, even if the proof of their superiority has not yet been firmly established.

Thoracoscopic removal of ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenoma causing hyperparathyroidism: a rare entity.

Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenomas are uncommon. Here, we report the successful thoracoscopic removal of a mediastinal parathyroid adenoma from a patient with hypercalcemia. A 58-year-old female patient was referred to our department with persistent hypercalcemia. Serum calcium and phosphorus levels were 13.2 mg/dl and 2.5 mg/dl respectively, while the intact parathormone level was 798.9 pg/ml. Parathyroid computed tomography revealed a solid and well-defined mass at the anterior mediastinum close to the distal aorta. Once the contrast was enhanced, our pre-diagnosis was ectopic parathyroid adenoma. The mass was detected at the anterior mediastinum, dissected free from the surrounding tissue and excised. The capsulated mass, which had a diameter of 3 × 1.5 × 0.7 cm, was confirmed as parathyroid adenoma histopathologically. Postoperative calcium and parathormone levels decreased dramatically to normal levels. Anterior mediastinal localization of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma is a rare entity. The transsternal approach is the most preferred method, but video-thoracoscopy can be used safely and effectively.

Subxiphoid video-thoracoscopy.

Surgical procedures of pleural cavity are crucial to complete the diagnoses or planning treatment of pleural effusions with an unknown aetiology. Traditionally, the transthoracic approach has been the most used procedure to study the pleural cavity. The subxiphoid video-thoracoscopy is becoming an alternative to the transthoracic approach. Subxiphoid video-thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive technique that allows us to study both pleural cavities with a single subxiphoid incision. In the supine decubitus, through a small subxiphoid incision, a rigid video-mediastinoscope is introduced. Once all the tissues are dissected, mediastinal pleura can be identified and incised. A 30° thoracoscopy is then inserted into the pleural cavity through the video-mediastinoscope to obtain samples of pleural fluid and biopsies of the parietal pleura and lung nodules if present. Subxiphoid approach has some advantages compared with the traditional transthoracic approach. On the one hand, contrary to traditional thoracoscopy, in subxiphoid video-thoracoscopy it is not necessary to do a transthoracic approach even for the insertion of a chest tube. Avoidance of intercostal ports probably decreases the risk of post-operative pain and the patients can be discharged 24 hours after surgery with no increase in surgical risk. On the other hand, we can explore both pleural cavities at the same time through a single incision, in case of bilateral pleural effusion. If malignancy is confirmed by frozen-section or by macroscopic evidence of intrapleural tumour infiltration or implants, a pleurodesis to avoid recurrence can be performed prior to tube insertion and closure.

Hernia de Morgagni en el adulto / An Adult with Morgagni Hernia

La hernia diafragmática de Morgagni suele presentarse con poca frecuencia en adultos dado su origen congénito. Por este motivo, suele confundirse desde el punto de vista imagenológico con un lipoma mediastinal, como el caso que nos ocupa. Se presenta un caso de hernia diafragmática de Morgagni en adulto, la cual fue intervenida quirúrgicamente por videotoracoscopia con una evolución posoperatoria satisfactoria(AU)

The Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia usually occurs with a low frequent in adults due to its congenital origin. Therefore, it is often mistaken, imaginologically speaking, for a mediastinal lipoma, as in this case of interest. A case is presented of an adult with a Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia, which was surgically intervened by video-assisted thoracoscopy with a satisfactory postoperative evolution(AU)

Hernia de Morgagni en el adulto / An Adult with Morgagni Hernia

La hernia diafragmática de Morgagni suele presentarse con poca frecuencia en adultos dado su origen congénito. Por este motivo, suele confundirse desde el punto de vista imagenológico con un lipoma mediastinal, como el caso que nos ocupa. Se presenta un caso de hernia diafragmática de Morgagni en adulto, la cual fue intervenida quirúrgicamente por videotoracoscopia con una evolución posoperatoria satisfactoria(AU)

The Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia usually occurs with a low frequent in adults due to its congenital origin. Therefore, it is often mistaken, imaginologically speaking, for a mediastinal lipoma, as in this case of interest. A case is presented of an adult with a Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia, which was surgically intervened by video-assisted thoracoscopy with a satisfactory postoperative evolution(AU)

Single stage bilateral uniportal videothoracoscopic sympathicotomy for hyperhidrosis: can it be managed as an outpatient procedure?

INTRODUCTION: The videothoracoscopic approach is minimally invasive with benefits that include less postoperative pain and shorter hospital stay. It is also a safe procedure which can be performed on an outpatient basis. AIM: To determine whether videothoracoscopic sympathicotomy can be performed safely in most patients as an outpatient procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between July 2005 and October 2015, a total of 92 patients underwent bilateral and single port thoracoscopic sympathicotomy in our department on an outpatient basis. The level of sympathicotomy was T2 in 2 (2.2%) patients, T2 to T3 in 31 (33%) patients, T2 to T4 in 46 (50%) patients and T3 to T4 in 12 (13%) patients. Demographic data, length of postoperative stay, substitution index (SI), admission rate (AR) and readmission rate (RR), complications and patient satisfaction were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Two (2.2%) patients suffered from chest pain, while 4 (4.3%) patients complained about pain at the port site. Mean discharge time after surgery was 5.1 h (range: 4-6 h), mean duration of hospital stay was 0.15 days (0-3 days) postoperatively and the mean operation time was 43.6 min (15-130 min). In 8 (8.6%) patients, pneumothorax was detected on postoperative chest X-ray, while 5 (5.4%) patients required chest tube drainage. Mild or moderate compensatory sweating developed in 32 (34.7%) patients. No recurrence was observed, and the satisfaction rate was 96.7%. Substitution index and admission rate were 91.3% and 11% respectively, while RR was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathicotomy can be performed safely in most patients as an outpatient procedure.

Catastrophes during video-assisted thoracoscopic thymus surgery for myasthenia gravis.

OBJECTIVES: Several series have demonstrated that video-assisted thoracoscopic (VAT) thymectomy is feasible and safe. However, VAT thymectomy is an operation that could invite catastrophes, such as major vascular injuries. We aimed to analyse the events and define the management and outcomes of these serious complications. METHODS: All patients who underwent VAT thymectomy/thymothymectomy recorded in our clinical database were evaluated. A catastrophic complication was defined as any situation that resulted in an additional unplanned major surgical procedure other than the planned closed thymic surgery. Operations were performed by two surgeons: one experienced and one junior. The order of catastrophes in each surgeon's experience was recorded. RESULTS: A total of 441 VAT thymectomy/thymothymectomy operations were performed. Catastrophic complications were identified in 7 (1.5%) patients. These cases included 3 major innominate vein injuries, 1 superior vena cava injury, 1 aortic injury, 1 sudden cardiac arrest and 1 diaphragmatic injury. The first catastrophe for the experienced surgeon was his 96th case. The mean age was 37.1 ± 11.5 (minimum: 21, maximum: 53). There were 5 (71.4%) male and 2 (28.6%) female patients. Two (28.6%) of the patients had thymoma and the mean body mass index was 23.9 ± 2.8. A mean of 1.7 ± 1.4 (minimum: 0, maximum: 3) units of blood were transfused; a postoperative intensive care unit stay of 20.6 ± 25.7 h and a hospital stay of 8.4 ± 7.9 days were recorded. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Catastrophic intraoperative complications of VAT thymectomy are very rare. They may not only occur in the learning curve period but also after a large experience. Experience in converting to open surgery within seconds is important to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Timectomía videotoracoscópica en la miastenia gravis / Video-laparoscopic thymectomy in myasthenia gravis

Introducción: el tratamiento videotoracoscópico permite la exéresis del timo y de la grasa peritímica, como en la cirugía abierta, pero con las ventajas del mínimo acceso. Objetivo: evaluar los resultados de esta vía con nuestros primeros pacientes. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo y prospectivo de 10 pacientes con miastenia gravis desde enero de 2007 hasta agosto de 2008, en el hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras. Los resultados se presentaron en por cientos y para la relación de las variables se empleó chi cuadrado. Resultados: según la clasificación de Osserman de la miastenia, 8 se ubicaron en el grado II B, y 2 en el II A. El 50 por ciento (5 de ellos) tenía un timoma asociado. En el 50 por ciento se emplearon 3 puertos de entrada. El tiempo quirúrgico varió de 60 a 180 minutos. Hubo un 37,5 por ciento (3) de complicaciones posoperatorias sin mortalidad. En el informe anatomopatológico de la pieza (4) el 50 por ciento tenía un timoma, todos en el estadio I de Masaoka. El 50 por ciento (4) se encuentra en remisión y el otro 50 por ciento en mejoría significativa. Conclusiones: la timectomía videotoracoscópica tiene grandes ventajas, ya que sin cambiar la técnica quirúrgica los pacientes se benefician de todas las ventajas del mínimo acceso(AU)

Introduction: the video-laparoscopy treatment allows the thymus exeresis and the peri-thymic fat like in the open surgery, but with the advantages of a minimal access. Objective: to assess the results of this route achieved in our first patients. Methods: a prospective and descriptive study was conducted in 10 patients presenting with myasthenia gravis from January, 2007 to August, 2008 admitted in the Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical Surgical Hospital. The results were showed in percentages and for the relation of variables chi² was used. Results: according to the Osserman's classification of the myasthenia, 8 were located in the IIB degree and 2 in the IIA one. The 50 percent (5 of them) had an associated thymoma. In the 50 percent three approaches were used. The surgical time fluctuates from 60 to 180 minutes. The was a 37.5 percent (3) of postoperative complications without mortality. The anatomical-pathological report of the sample (4) the 50 percent had a thymoma all in I Masaoka's stage. The 50 percent of patients are in remission and the other 50 percent in a significant improvement. Conclusions: the video-thoracoscopy thymectomy has many advantages, since without a change in surgical technique, the patients to benefit of all the advantages of the minimal access(AU)