Prolonged air leak after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND: Patients who have undergone a lung resection owing to primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) may develop prolonged air leak (PAL) during the postoperative period. The present study investigates potential risk factors associated with postoperative PAL in patients who were operated on for PSP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent operations for PSP between January 2004 and November 2017 were investigated retrospectively. Patients who developed postoperative PAL constituted Group 1, and patients without PAL formed Group 2. A comparison of the two groups was made to identify potential risk factors for the development of prolonged air leak. RESULTS: Of the total 79 patients who underwent operations, 18 (22.78%) developed prolonged air leak. All of the patients in Group 1 were male, and the mean age of this group was 23.72 ± 5.76 (18-36) years. Of the patients in Group 2, 51 (83.61%) were male and 10 (16.39%) were female, and the mean age of this group was 25.81 ± 5.91 (17-39) years. There was no statistically significant difference noted between the two groups regarding the investigated factors including age, gender, the total number of previous episodes, number of ipsilateral episodes, number of contralateral episodes, the preferred treatment method for the last episode, smoking status, computerized tomography findings, or the presence of a preoperative air leak. CONCLUSIONS: PAL is the most common complication associated with PSP surgeries. Although several factors may affect PAL development, no definite conclusion could be drawn concerning the investigated risk factors. We believe that similar studies may contribute to the care of this rare patient population.

Prognostic factors for survival in patients with thymic epithelial tumors.

BACKGROUND: Aim of the study was to identify and evaluate the prognostic efficacy of standard clinicopathological factors of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) for treatment-related outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients treated between 1993-2008 at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Departments of Radiation Oncology and Thoracic Surgery were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients with a median age of 51 (range: 24-72) were identified. Complete resection was performed in 23 (51.1%), incomplete resection with microscopic residues in 17 (37.8%), subtotal resection with gross residues in 2 (4.4%) and biopsy in 5 (11.1%) patients. Radiotherapy was administered to 39 (83%) patients. Median follow-up duration was 51 months (range: 3-168 months). Five-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 93%, 90% and 85% for thymoma and 80%, 66% and 72% for thymic carcinoma patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the extent of resection was the only significant prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The most important prognostic factor for overall survival was the extent of resection. Further studies with larger numbers of patients are required to confirm the prognostic factors and to obtain a better understanding of the biological behavior of TETs.

Preserving T2 in thoracic sympathicotomy for palmar hyperhidrosis: less tissue trauma, same effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare two different sympathicotomy procedures for primary hyperhidrosis in terms of compensatory sweating, complications, safety and effectiveness. METHODS: The data of 78 consecutive patients who underwent bilateral endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy (156 laterals) for palmar hyperhidrosis between January 2005 and September 2009 were studied retrospectively. The first 29 consecutive patients were treated with a T2-3 sympathicotomy (Group A). After November 2007, all patients (49 patients) were treated with a T3 sympathicotomy alone (Group B). The chest tubes were always removed after checking for pneumothorax with roentgenography. All patients were followed up and evaluated for results, side effects, complications, and satisfaction levels. The differences between the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the 47 (60.2 %) female and 31 (39.8 %) male patients was 25.2 years. Horner's syndrome and pneumothorax was not detected in either group. The mean follow-up time was 20.82 months (6-52 months). Effectiveness of the procedure at the time of discharge and at follow-up was 100 % and 97.5 %, respectively. There was no significant difference between groups with regard to any analyzed parameter. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that preserving the T2 ganglion is safe, and does not compromise the effectiveness of the procedure. Sympathicotomy has the same success rate as sympathectomy, but requires significantly less dissection and results in less tissue trauma.

The effect of blood vessel invasion on prognosis of operated stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was conducted to identify the effect of blood vessel invasion on prognosis in surgically treated stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 71 consecutive patients who had undergone complete resection for stage I primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between 1998 and 2007 were evaluated. All pathological specimens were examined for evidence of blood vessel invasion. The follow-up period was 5-118 months. Survival data were analyzed for all patients using the Kaplan-Meier test. RESULTS: There were 63 men and 8 women (mean age 59.2, age range 35-86). The most common tumor types were adenocarcinoma (35 patients, 49 %) and squamous cell carcinoma (26 patients, 37 %). Twenty-five patients (35 %) had stage IA disease, and 46 had (65 %) stage IB disease. In 13 cases (18 %) blood vessel invasion was demonstrated, whereas in the remaining 58 cases there was no evidence of vascular invasion. Minimum and maximum follow-up periods were 5 and 118 months respectively, with a mean of 41.76 +/- 27 months (median 33.5 months). Overall disease-free survival was 79.6 +/- 6.4 months: 38.3 +/- 12.0 months for the group with blood vessel invasion and 87.5 +/- 6.7 months for the remaining group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.003). Overall survival rate was 86.7 +/- 6.7 months: 44.5 +/- 11.3 months for blood vessel invasion group and 98.2 +/- 6.2 months for the remaining group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Vascular invasion can be an important factor for predicting unfavorable prognosis in stage I NSCLC patients.

Ligasure vessel sealing system versus harmonic scalpel for sutureless nonanatomical pulmonary resections in a rabbit model. Which one is safer?

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of the ligasure vessel sealing system (LVSS) and harmonic scalpel (HS) in sutureless nonanatomical lung resections were evaluated. METHODS: On twenty adult rabbit lungs, 1 x 1 cm wedge resections were performed under one-lung ventilation with both LVSS and HS. The air tightness and tissue damage caused by these different techniques were measured and compared. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found when the air tightness for both devices was compared after resection (p = 0.37). Tissue damage was obtained for LVSS, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). discussion: LVSS and HS can both be used for peripheral lung resections without any need of further intervention for securing the air tightness. LVSS was found safer by means of tissue damage when compared with HS in this experimental study.

Comparison of the harmonic scalpel and the ultrasonic surgical aspirator in subsegmental lung resections: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of two devices using ultrasonic energy for dissection of lung parenchyma in an experimental animal model by comparing the two methods with each other. METHODS: Twenty New Zealand rabbits were used. One-lung ventilation was obtained under direct vision and the left lung was collapsed. The rabbits were ventilated with pressure-controlled ventilation during the experiment, beginning with a pressure level of 10 cmH(2)O. After a 1 x 1-cm pulmonary wedge resection of part of the collapsed left lung using a harmonic scalpel (group A) or an ultrasonic surgical aspirator (group B), the left lung was inflated and the pressure level was increased by 5 cmH(2)O every five minutes. The pressure level which caused an air leak from the resection surface was recorded. The morphological damage to the lung parenchyma was evaluated under light microscopy. RESULTS: The mean value of airway pressure levels that resulted in an air leak from the resection surface was 32.5 +/- 9.2 cmH(2)O for group A and 24.5 +/- 2.9 cmH(2)O for group B, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant. The mean level of coagulation necrosis was 558.6 +/- 380.8 microns (133 - 1064 microns) for group A. No tissue damage to pulmonary parenchyma was observed in group B. CONCLUSION: The harmonic scalpel can be safely used in peripheral lung resections without needing any other method to ensure hemostasis and air tightness. The ultrasonic surgical aspirator can be used for the dissection and resection of deeper lesions and preserves more lung tissue but requires additional interventions for control of the air leak from the resection surface.

Experimental use of N-butyl cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive on lung parenchyma after pulmonary resection.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of N-butyl cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive for the prevention of air leak together with the morphological changes to lung parenchyma. METHODS: Twelve New Zealand rabbits were used. The rabbits were ventilated with pressure-controlled ventilation during the experiment, beginning with a pressure level of 10 cm H (2)O. After a 2 x 2-cm pulmonary wedge resection, the resection surface was sealed with N-butyl cyanoacrylate and the pressure level was increased every five minutes in 5-cm H (2)O increments. The pressure level which caused an air leak from the resection surface was recorded. The morphological damage to the lung parenchyma was evaluated under light microscopy. RESULTS: The mean value of the pressure levels that caused air leak was 43.3 +/- 8.8 cm H (2)O. No tissue damage to lung parenchyma was recorded after histopathological examination. CONCLUSION: N-butyl cyanoacrylate was effective in preventing air leak from the pulmonary resection surface even with high airway pressure levels. It could be used as an aid for pulmonary resection lines or to control the air leak from pulmonary parenchyma.

Sedation for fiberoptic bronchoscopy: fewer adverse cardiovascular effects with propofol than with midazolam.

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of the sedatives propofol and midazolam on cardiovascular parameters in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB). METHODS: 100 patients without a history of cardiac disease undergoing diagnostic FOB were investigated in a prospective-randomized design. After premedication with intramuscular atropine (0.01 mg/kg BW) patients received sedation with either propofol (group P, n = 50) or midazolam (group M, n = 50). Heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation (psaO (2)) and non-invasive blood pressure were recorded prior to and immediately after induction of sedation, when at the level of vocal cords, during the interventional diagnostic procedure (IDP) and 15 min after the end of the FOB. RESULTS: The mean heart rate and systolic pressure were significantly lower in group P when compared with group M when at the level of vocal cords and during the IDP (p < 0.05). The total incidence of major arrhythmias was 10 % and the incidence of minor arrhythmias was 62 %. A decline in psaO (2) < 90 % occurred in 16 patients of group M and 5 patients of group P (p = 0.44). CONCLUSION: Propofol, when used as a sedative for FOB, is associated with lower hemodynamic side effects than in patients undergoing FOB with midazolam. In addition, it is well-tolerated by patients with pre-existing pulmonary disease. Even patients without a history of heart disease should be monitored for cardiac arrhythmia while undergoing FOB for pulmonary disease, especially patients with a FEV (1) of less than 50 % of the predicted value.

The histological effect of harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in lung resections. An experimental study in a rat model.

AIM: In the last decade, ultrasonically activated scalpels (the Harmonic Scalpel, HS) have been developed and used for both open and endoscopic surgical procedures. The present study compares the deepness of lung tissue damage caused by HS and unipolar electrocautery (EC) in rats. METHODS: Ten rats were used for the study. Morphological damage on lung parenchyma of the rats was measured with the ocular micrometer in light microscopy. RESULTS: The mean depth of the tissue damage was 0.23+/-0.08 mm in the HS group, and 0.33+/-0.10 mm in the EC group. The difference was statistically significant between the 2 groups (p=0.028). CONCLUSION: HS induces significantly less tissue damage than EC in rat lungs.

[Thoracic trauma: analysis of 987 cases]. / Gögüs travmalari: 987 olgunun analizi.

In Izmir Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training Hospital, Department of 1st Thoracic Surgery, between 1988 and 1998, 987 patients who were treated for their chest trauma were retrospectively reviewed in regard to their age, sex, cause of trauma, associated organ injuries, treatment modality, complication rate and mortality. In 710 (72%) cases of chest injuries were related to blunt trauma and 277 (28%) patients sustained penetrating trauma. 402 (41%) patients underwent tube thoracostomy only. While majority of patients (553 pts, 56%) were managed conservatively, only 32 (3%) underwent thoracotomy. Complication rate in our series was 4.6% and the most frequently atelectasis was seen. 13 patients died due to trauma related causes (mortality: 1.3%). There was no difference between blunt and penetrating trauma patients in view of morbidity and mortality rates (p = 0.29 and p = 0.10, respectively). Mean hospital stay among all patients was 9.6 +/- 8.6 days. This period was 10.0 +/- 8.5 days in blunt trauma group, and 8.4 +/- 8.6 days in penetrating trauma group. However this difference has reached statistical significance at a p value of 0.0068.

Atypically located pericardial cysts.

Pericardial cysts are generally recognized when they present in a cardiophrenic angle, but may not be suspected when they occur elsewhere in the thorax. To highlight the unusual localisations of pericardial cysts, we represent two patients with cysts of which one was adjacent to the left pulmonary hilum and the other was located in the subpulmonary region. The clinicians should take into consideration this entity in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the mediastinum.

Tuberculosis of oral mucosa.

In secondary tuberculosis, lesions of the oral cavity may accompany lesions of the pharynx, lungs, lymph nodes or miliary tuberculosis. A 35-year-old male was suffering from swelling of his right cheek, cough, weakness and weight loss. There were local hyperemia and irregular oral mucous in the inner part of the right cheek. Chest x-ray showed bilateral nodular opacifications and a cavity of 2 cm. Acid-fast bacteria were present in sputum and Lowenstein-Jensen culture was positive. The pathological signs of the biopsy taken from the buccal mucosa including multistratified squamous epithelium were: tubercle structure, Langhans' giant cells and minimal cazeation necrosis. After anti-tuberculous chemotherapy oral and pulmonary lesions were almost in remission. Following this case report of lung tuberculosis accompanied by tuberculosis of oral mucosa, the literature related is reviewed.

[Tracheobronchial injuries due to blunt thoracic trauma: 10 years experience]. / Künt gögüs travmasina bagli trakeobronsiyal yaralanmalar: 10 yillik deneyim.

The tracheobronchial injuries are seldom, but life threatening. Their successful diagnosis and treatment require a high level of suspicion. In this report, we reviewed our experience with seven patients with tracheobronchial injuries due to blunt thoracic trauma, treated over the past 10 years. Definitive diagnosis was recognized with bronchoscopy after clinical suspicion. Most injuries were located in the right bronchial tree (five patients), whereas only one patient had an injury located in the left bronchial tree and one in trachea. The majority of the injuries were repaired primarily (five patients) and two required lobectomy. There were no postoperative mortality; but three postoperative complications were noted; one empyema and two partial stenoses on the repair line.

Autologous blood patch pleurodesis in spontaneous pneumothorax with persistent air leak.

In a prospective study series of 167 patients with tube thoracostomy for spontaneous pneumothorax in 1993-1996, 32 patients (age range 16-79 years, mean age 45.5 years) were treated with autologous blood-patch pleurodesis for persistent air leak. In 27 (84%) of cases the air leak ceased within 72 h after the pleurodesis. The duration of air leak was significantly shorter (p < 0.01) than in simple drainage. Empyema developed in three cases, and two patients with failed pleurodesis required open thoracotomy. Minor complications, mainly fever and pleural effusion, occurred in nine patients. Neither analgesia nor sedation was required during or after pleurodesis. There was no recurrence of pneumothorax during 12-48 months of observation, whereas simple drainage was followed by recurrence in 22 patients. Blood-patch pleurodesis is a simple, effective and painless method in pneumothorax, but carries an increased risk of intrathoracic infection.