Thoracoscopic surgery for congenital lung malformations: Does previous infection really matter?

BACKGROUND/ PURPOSE: Elective resection of congenital lung malformations (CLMs) is still debatable. The two main risks are malignant transformation and recurrent pulmonary infections. Our study aimed to assess the effect of previous pulmonary infection on the intraoperative and postoperative courses of thoracoscopic surgery for CLMs. METHODS: This is a retrospective study including all thoracoscopic lung resections for CLMs between 2010 and 2019. Ninety patients were included. There was a history of previous pulmonary infection in 28 patients (group A) and no such history in 62 patients (group B). RESULTS: The median age at operation for group A was 20.4 months (IQR:14.9-41.4) versus 15.1 months (IQR:9.7-20.8) in group B (p = 0.006). There were 10 conversions (35.7%) in group A and 8 (12.9%) in group B (p = 0.02). The operative time was significantly shorter in group B (p<0.002). In group A, 32.1% of patients experienced postoperative fever versus 11.3% of group B (p = 0.03), with higher antibiotics requirement (28.6% versus 6.5% respectively, p = 0.007). However, no significant differences were found in terms of postoperative complications (p = 0.99). CONCLUSION: Earlier intervention for CLMs before the development of pulmonary infection carries higher chances for the success of the thoracoscopic approach with shorter operative time and more uneventful postoperative courses.

Central Venous Access in Neonates: Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Access and Minimal Surgical Open Methods.

Background: In neonates, percutaneous central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is often a challenging technique. Recent reports have reported the efficacy of ultrasound (US) guidance when performing such an intervention. We conducted this study to compare US-guided and minimal surgical CVC insertion regarding time and ease of insertion, reliability, and complications. Patients and Methods: This prospective randomized study included 92 neonates scheduled for CVC insertion. They were divided into two groups: Group A (46 neonates) underwent the US-guided approach and Group B (46 neonates) underwent the surgical approach. The number of attempts and the duration of the procedure were documented in both groups. In addition, intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: Each of patient's age, gender, weight, and the indication of catheter insertion were statistically comparable between the two groups. The number of trials showed a significant increase in Group A (1.52 vs. 1.07 in Group Bp <0.001). Nevertheless, the time of the procedure was significantly decreased in the same group (3.68 vs. 10.21 in Group Bp <0.001). Table 2 summarizes the previous findings. Failure was encountered only in one case in Group A (2.2%), which was converted to the open surgical technique. In general, the incidence of complications showed no significant difference between the two approaches. Conclusion: Although US-guided CVC insertion is associated with an increased number of trials, the duration of the procedure is significantly diminished with its use. Furthermore, it has a high success rate in addition to a comparable complication profile with the traditional surgical method.