Quality of life after interventions for malignant pleural effusions: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) results in breathlessness and impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study reviews the existing literature on HRQOL following invasive interventions in MPE. METHODS: Five electronic databases were systematically searched and assessed three times during the review process and last completed on 15 June 2018. We included all studies evaluating HRQOL outcomes for the following interventions: therapeutic thoracocentesis, talc slurry (TS) pleurodesis, indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) insertion and thoracoscopic talc poudrage (TTP) pleurodesis. Meta-analysis was not performed due to substantial heterogeneity in the published data. RESULTS: 17 studies were included in the review reporting HRQOL outcomes in 2515 patients. TTP, TS and IPC were associated with modest but inconsistent improvements in HRQOL up to 12 weeks. No intervention was significantly different from another in HRQOL outcomes at any time point. The attrition to follow-up was 48.3% (664/1374) at 3 months. The overall quality of studies was inadequate. CONCLUSION: TTP, TS and IPC seem to improve HRQOL in MPE over 4-12 weeks, but there are insufficient longer term data due to high attrition rates. Evidence on the most effective treatment strategy is limited by the small number of randomised or comparative studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016051003.

[Effect of Preoperative Anxiety on Early Prognosis of Patients after Thoracoscopic Lung Cancer Resection].

BACKGROUND: Patients with lung cancer are often accompanied by anxiety, which affects postoperative recovery. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of preoperative anxiety on early prognosis in patients after thoracoscopic lung cancer resection. METHODS: A total of 100 patients undergoing thoracoscopic resection of lung cancer were divided into 2 groups by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS): 44 in anxiety group (anxiety score>8) and 56 in control group (anxiety score<8). The primary endpoint: length of postoperative hospital stay. The secondary endpoint: length of hospital stay, visual analogue scale (VAS), the incidence of nausea and vomiting as well as postoperative new arrhythmia and the consumption of postoperative analgesic and rescue antiemetic. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the length of postoperative hospital stay and hospital stay in the anxiety group were both significantly longer [(5.1±2.5) d vs (4.0±1.3) d, P<0.01; (10.9±4.0) d vs (9.1±4.1) d, P<0.05)], the VAS score and the incidence of nausea as well as arrhythmia were significantly increased [(4.7±1.9) vs (2.6±1.8), P<0.001; 40.9% vs 16.1%, P<0.01; 36.4% vs 20.7%, P<0.05], and the consumption of postoperative analgesic and rescue antiemetic were also significantly increased [(72.5±8.9) mL vs (68.2±9.4) mL, P<0.05; (2.1±2.9) mg vs (0.9±1.9) mg, P<0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative anxiety can affect the early prognosis of patients after thoracoscopic lung cancer resection, prolong hospitalization time, increase the postoperative pain score and the incidence of postoperative nausea and new arrhythmia as well as the consumption of postoperative analgesic and rescue antiemetic.

Progressive reduction of hospital length of stay following minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum: A retrospective comparison of three analgesia modalities, the role of addressing patient anxiety, and reframing patient expectations.

PURPOSE: Management of postoperative pain is a significant challenge following the Nuss procedure. Epidurals, PCAs, and newer analgesia modalities have been used elsewhere without demonstrating consistent improvement in the reported length of hospital stays (LOS). We reviewed a large single surgeon experience identifying three different methods of analgesia used over time to highlight marked improvement in patient LOS. METHODS: IRB approval was obtained and patient clinical information was retrospectively reviewed from 2001 to 2017. The primary outcome variable was length of hospital stay. An expanded preoperative consultation reviews the issue of pain, the negative impact of anxiety on recovery, and our current success of shortened hospital stays with our patients. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-three patients representing three different analgesia approaches had a LOS of 4.4 days (epidural); 2.2 days (PCA/intercostal nerve block); and 1.6 days (scheduled oral pain meds/intercostal nerve blocks). The current LOS for patients is 1.0 day. Patients successfully stop using narcotics by the end of the first week postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative intercostal nerve blocks, scheduled postoperative pain medications, and enhanced preoperative consultation aimed to educate patients about anxiety and reframe patient pain expectations have collectively decreased LOS, and reduced postoperative narcotic usage. TYPE OF STUDY: Clinical research LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Risk factors for postoperative anxiety and depression after surgical treatment for lung cancer†.

OBJECTIVES: Psychological distress associated with cancer treatment is an emerging issue in the management of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of postoperative anxiety and depression after surgical treatment for lung cancer, and to assess the risk factors associated with these phenomena. METHODS: Patients who underwent curative surgical resection for primary lung cancer were included in this study. Patients with complex treatment histories (recurrent or metastatic lung cancer or neoadjuvant treatment) and those taking psychiatric medication were excluded. We prospectively evaluated the degrees of pre- and postoperative anxiety and depression using a Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale questionnaire. The relationships between clinical and patient factors and anxiety and depression after surgical treatment for lung cancer were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 278 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 62 years. Thoracoscopic resection was performed in 246 patients (89%). The prevalence rates of preoperative anxiety and depression were 8% (n = 22) and 12% (n = 32), and changed to 9% (n = 26) and 19% (n = 54) postoperatively (P = 0.37 and <0.001, respectively). Gender, age, marital status, advanced clinical stage, alcohol abuse, smoking status, length of hospital stay, pulmonary function and preoperative comorbidities were not associated with postoperative anxiety and depression. Multivariate analysis revealed that thoracotomy was a risk factor for postoperative anxiety after adjusting for preoperative anxiety (odds ratio [OR] = 4.5, P = 0.002). Thoracotomy (OR = 3.4, P = 0.009), postoperative dyspnoea (OR = 4.8, P < 0.001), severe pain (OR = 3.9, P = 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.0, P = 0.012) were identified as risk factors for postoperative depression after adjusting for preoperative depression. Twenty-four patients were referred to mental health professionals and provided with supportive psychotherapy or pharmacological intervention. Of these, 14 patients (56%) were diagnosed with an adjustment disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative psychological distress and, in particular, depression increased after surgical treatment for lung cancer. Postoperative anxiety and depression were aggravated by residual symptoms after surgery. Careful psychological evaluation and appropriate management are required to improve patients' quality of life after lung cancer surgery.

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis: four-year outcome and quality of life after bilateral 5-mm dual port approach.

BACKGROUND: During recent years, thoracoscopic sympathectomy has been the standard treatment for hyperhidrosis. Different surgical techniques have been described without proving their advantages compared with other procedures. This study was designed to evaluate our modification of thoracoscopic sympathectomy and to compare the effectiveness between axillary and palmar hyperhidrosis. METHODS: Ninety patients with axillary or palmar hyperhidrosis who underwent bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy with single-lumen ventilation with a dual 5-mm port approach were followed up for a median of 3.9 (range, 1-6) years. The clinical course and data during the hospitalization and consultation in our outpatient clinic were reviewed. The following parameters were evaluated: clinical improvement, satisfaction, changes in quality of life, and compensatory sweating and gustatory sweating. RESULTS: The perioperative mortality was 0, and the morbidity was 6.5%. In 81% clinical improvement of sweating was noticed; 55% did not sweat at all. A total of 88% of patients were satisfied with the result of the operation. The rates of compensatory sweating and gustatory sweating were 93.5% and 49.4%, respectively. The result of sympathectomy in patients with palmar hyperhidrosis were significantly better concerning rate of satisfaction (p = 0.006) and improvement of symptoms (p = 0.027) compared with patients with axillary symptoms. Additionally it was found that the compensatory sweating had significantly impacted the satisfaction rating of the operation. CONCLUSION: Currently different effective surgical approaches for the treatment of hyperhidrosis with improvement rates of more than 80% are available. The quality of the intervention has to be evaluated by changes in quality of life and intensity of compensatory sweating. Thoracoscopic sympathectomy as performed in our institution offers results and complications comparable to previously published trials; however, because of single-lumen ventilation the management is much easier. Therefore, this technique offers an interesting option for the treatment of patients with palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis.

Thoracoscopic surgery in elderly lung cancer patients.

Age is a recognized risk factor for death after thoracotomy in elderly patients with lung cancer. Among other factors, the genesis of this risk is the physiologic debilitation that occurs after division of the intrathoracic respiratory muscles during thoracotomy, as well as the loss of lung tissue after lung resection. Recent advances in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) techniques provide an alternative to standard thoracotomy in elderly lung cancer patients, resulting in decreased recovery times and fewer perioperative complications. Likewise, smaller lung resections (VATS-guided limited wedge resection versus lobectomy with thoracotomy) can be adequate oncologic procedures in patients with a limited life expectancy but resectable disease. We studied these alternative procedures in a cohort of thoracic surgical patients at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. Proposed investigations of the psychosocial implications of thoracic surgery in the elderly, irrespective of the safety of these maneuvers, are addressed.

Posterior approach for the simultaneous, bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy.

If there is an indication for sympathectomy in the case of severe hyperhidrosis or rubeosis, in our opinion the posterior approach is preferable because of the advantages in surgical technique and anesthesia. Bilateral treatment can be accomplished in a single admission, with all the concomitant advantages.