Wedge resection versus lobectomy for stage I (T1 N0 M0) non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The role of nonanatomic wedge resection in the management of stage I (T1 N0 M0) non-small-cell lung cancer continues to be debated against the present gold standard of care--anatomic lobectomy. METHODS: We analyzed the results of 219 consecutive patients with pathologic stage I (T1 N0 M0) non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent open wedge resection (n = 42), video-assisted wedge resection (n = 60), and lobectomy (n = 117) to assess morbidity, recurrence, and survival differences between these approaches. RESULTS: There were no differences among the three groups with regard to histologic tumor type. Analysis demonstrated the wedge resection groups to be significantly older and to have reduced pulmonary function despite a higher incidence of treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease when compared with patients having lobectomy. The mean hospital stay was significantly less in the wedge resection groups. There were no operative deaths among patients having wedge resection; however, a 3% operative mortality occurred among patients having lobectomy (p = 0.20). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were nearly identical at 1 year (open wedge resection, 94%; video-assisted wedge resection, 95%; lobectomy, 91%). At 5 years survival was 58% for patients having open wedge resection, 65% for those having video-assisted wedge resection, and 70% for those having lobectomy. Log rank testing demonstrated significant differences between the survival curves during the 5-year period of study (p = 0.02). This difference was a result of a significantly greater non-cancer-related death rate by 5 years among patients having wedge resection (38% vs 18% for those having lobectomy; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Wedge resection, done by open thoracotomy or video-assisted techniques, appears to be a viable "compromise" surgical treatment of stage I (T1 N0 M0) non-small-cell lung cancer for patients with cardiopulmonary physiologic impairment. Because of the increased risk for local recurrence, anatomic lobectomy remains the surgical treatment of choice for patients with stage I non-small-cell lung cancer who have adequate physiologic reserve.

Acute and chronic morbidity differences between muscle-sparing and standard lateral thoracotomies.

INTRODUCTION: Opinions differ regarding differences between totally muscle-sparing thoracotomy and standard lateral thoracotomy approaches to pulmonary resection with respect to operative time, postoperative pain and morbidity, and occurrence of chronic postthoracotomy pain syndromes and subjective shoulder dysfunction. METHODS: Three hundred thirty-five consecutive patients undergoing muscle-sparing thoracotomy (n = 148) or lateral thoracotomy (n = 187) to accomplish lobectomy for stage I lung cancer during a 40-month period were evaluated. Local rib resection was not employed, and two chest tubes were routinely used after operation in both thoracotomy groups. Epidural analgesia use was similar after operation in the two groups (muscle-sparing thoracotomy 38%, lateral thoracotomy 38%). The postoperative hospital courses and patient functional statuses at 1 year were examined. RESULTS: Demographic analyses demonstrated no differences between groups in age, sex, or association of significant comorbid medical illness. Although the operative time required for muscle-sparing thoracotomy was shorter, there were no differences between thoracotomy approaches in any of the other primary acute postoperative variables analyzed (chest tube duration, length of hospital stay, postoperative narcotic requirements, and postoperative mortality). The frequencies of chronic pain and shoulder dysfunction assessed 1 year after operation were also similar between thoracotomy groups. CONCLUSIONS: The relative efficacies and rates of occurrence of acute or chronic morbidity are equivalent after muscle-sparing thoracotomy and standard lateral thoracotomy. Although muscle-sparing thoracotomy may possibly be performed more expediently, it appears that the singular advantage of muscle-sparing thoracotomy over standard lateral thoracotomy involves the preservation of chest wall musculature in case rotational muscle flaps should be needed later.

"Keyhole" coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the utility of "keyhole" thoracotomy approaches to single vessel coronary artery bypass surgery. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although minimally invasive surgery is efficacious in a wide variety of surgical disciplines, it has been slow to emerge in cardiac surgery. Among 49 selected patients, the authors have used a left anterior keyhole thoracotomy (6 cm in length) combined with complete dissection of the eternal mammary artery (IMA) pedicle under thoracoscopic guidance or directly through the keyhole incision to accomplish IMA coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery circulation or to the right coronary artery (RCA). METHODS: Keyhole CABG was accomplished in 46 of 49 patients in which this approach was attempted. All patients had significant (> 70%) obstruction of a dominant coronary artery that had failed or that was inappropriate for endovascular catheter treatment (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or stenting). Forty-four of the 49 patients had proximal LAD and 5 had proximal RCA stenoses. The mean age of the patients (35 men and 14 women) was 61 years, and their median New York Heart Association anginal class was III. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 42%. Femoral cardiopulmonary bypass support was used in 9 (19%) of 46 patients successfully managed with the keyhole procedure. Short-acting beta-blockade was used in the majority of patients (38 of 46) to reduce heart rate and the vigor of cardiac contraction. RESULTS: As 49 patients have survived operation, which averaged 248 minutes in duration. Median, postoperative endotracheal intubation time for keyhole patients was 6 hours with 25 of 46 patients being extubated before leaving the operating room. The median hospital stay was 4.3 days. Conversion to sternotomy was required in three patients to accomplish bypass because of inadequate internal mammary conduits or acute cardiovascular decompensation during an attempted off-bypass keyhole procedure Postoperative complications were limited to respiratory difficulty in three patients and the development of a deep wound infection in one patient. Nine (19%) of 46 patients received postoperative transfusion. There have been no intraoperative or postoperative infarctions, and angina has been controlled in all but one patient who subsequently had an IMA-RCA anastomotic stenosis managed successfully with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. CONCLUSIONS: These early results with keyhole CABG are encouraging. As experience broadens, keyhole CABG may become a reasonable alternative to repeated endovascular interventions or sternotomy approaches to recalcitrant single-vessel coronary arterial disease involving the proximal LAD or RCA.

Unilateral thoracoscopic surgical approach for diffuse emphysema.

We evaluated the use of a lateral thoracoscopic approach for lung reduction surgery in patients with diffuse emphysema. Sixty-seven patients with a mean age of 61.9 years underwent operation. Operative side was determined by preoperative imaging. The procedures were laser ablation in 10 patients and stapler resection in 57 patients. Ten patients, including six of the 10 patients in the laser-only group had poor outcome (death or hospitalization longer than 30 days), leading us to abandon the laser technique. Of the remaining 57 patients undergoing primary stapled resection, duration of chest tube placement averaged 13 days (range 3 to 53 days) with a mean hospital stay of 17 days (range 6 to 99 days). Seven patients required ventilation for longer than 72 hours, six patients underwent conversion of the procedure to open thoracotomy, four patients acquired arrhythmias, and three patients were treated for empyema. There was one early death (1.7%), from cardiopulmonary failure. Forty patients returned for 3-month evaluation. Significant (p < 0.0001) improvements were seen in forced vital capacity (2.69 L after vs 2.26 L before) and forced expiration volume in 1 second (1.04 L after vs 0.82 L before), with 25 of 40 patients (63%) showing an improvement of more than 20%. Lung volume measures, in particular residual volume, fell significantly. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed that carbon dioxide tension fell significantly in patients with preoperative hypercapnia (carbon dioxide tension > 45 mm Hg, p = 0.018). Six-minute walk test results improved (894 feet after vs 784 feet before, p = 0.002), and symptomatic benefit was confirmed by significant improvement in the dyspnea index. The combination of both hypercapnia and reduced single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was significantly more frequent (p = 0.0026) and was 86% specific (5 of 6 patients) in predicting serious postoperative risk. We conclude that the lateral thoracoscopic surgical approach to diffuse emphysema offers significant improvement in pulmonary mechanics and functional impairment. Patients with a combination of hypercapnia and reduced single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide should not be considered for this procedure because of significant perioperative risk.

Diagnosing the indeterminate pulmonary nodule: percutaneous biopsy versus thoracoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The malignant potential of indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN) mandates accurate diagnostic management. METHODS: 613 patients undergoing either computed tomographic lung biopsy (CT-Bx) (n = 312) or thoracoscopic excisional biopsy (Thor-Bx) (n = 301) for the diagnosis of SPN were evaluated for relative accuracy, complications, and effect on clinical treatment. RESULTS: CT-Bx identified a malignant diagnosis (Dx) in 201 (64%) of 312 patients; 85 (42%) underwent operations. A total of 116 patients (58%) with synchronous cancer (n = 16), impaired physiologic condition, or unresectable lesions (n = 100) were not operated. Surgical treatment was deferred for 20 patients (6%) with a "specific benign" Dx and 44 physiologically impaired patients with "nonspecific benign" CT-Bx. Forty-seven patients with "nonspecific benign" Dx underwent operation. Thirty-two (68%) lesions were malignant (4 metastatic, 28 primary cancer). CT-Bx accuracy was 86% for malignant and 79 (71%) of 111) for benign lesions. Surgery was still required for 132 (82%) of 163 patients with resectable lesions. Complications occurred in 24% of patients. A specific benign or malignant Dx was obtained in 292 (96%) of 301 patients undergoing Thor-Bx. Conversion to thoracotomy for lobectomy occurred in 38 (21%) of 179 patients with lung cancer. One hundred forty-one patients with lung cancer and impaired physiologic condition and all patients with metastatic (n = 44) and benign lesions (n = 78) had thoracoscopic resection alone. Complications occurred in 22% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Limited accuracy for benign Dx with CT-Bx requires surgical biopsy for patients with SPN with adequate physiologic reserve. Thor-Bx is a safe and accurate minimally invasive surgical approach to resectable peripheral SPN.