ObjectiveTo analyze the operation outcomes and learning curve of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).MethodsAll consecutive patients who underwent uniportal VATS between November 2018 and December 2020 in Shangjin Branch of West China Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospectively enrolled, including 62 males and 86 females with a mean age of 50.1±13.4 years. Operations included lobectomy, segmentectomy, wedge resection, mediastinal mass resection and hemopneumothorax. Accordingly, patients' clinical features in different phases were collected and compared to determine the outcome difference and learning curve for uniportal VATS.ResultsMedian postoperative hospital stay was 5 days, and the overall complication rate was 8.1% (12/148). There was no 30-day death after surgery or readmissions. Median postoperative pain score was 3. Over time, the operation time, incision length and blood loss were optimized in the uniportal VATS lobectomy, the incision length and blood loss increased in the uniportal VATS segmentectomy, and the postoperative hospital stay decreased in the uniportal VATS wedge resection.ConclusionUniportal VATS is safe and feasible for both standard and complex pulmonary resections. While, no remarkable learning curve for uniportal VATS lobectomy is observed for experienced surgeon.
ObjectiveTo analyze the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of the fluorescence method and the inflation-deflation method in defining the intersegmental plane during thoracoscopic lung segmental resection.MethodsFrom February to October 2018, 60 patients underwent thoracoscopic anatomical segmentectomy in Thoracic Surgery Department of Nanjing Chest Hospital, with 28 males and 32 females, aged from 25 to 82 years. Three-dimension computed tomography bronchography and angiography was used to reconstruct pulmonary vessels, bronchus and virtual intersegmental plane. Among them, 20 patients used the fluorescence method to define the intersegmental plane, and the other 40 patients used the traditional inflation-deflation method to define the intersegmental plane.ResultsFluorescent injection of indocyanine green (ICG) showed a clear intersegmental line with a duration sufficient to complete the label. With the fluorescence method, the intersegmental plane occurrence time was significantly shortened (10.75±3.78 s vs. 988.00±314.24 s, P<0.001) and had satisfactory repeatability. The lungs did not need to be inflated, which was convenient for the operation. And the operation time was shortened (108.75±31.28 min vs 138.00±32.47 min, P=0.002). No obvious ICG injection-related concurrency symptoms was found.ConclusionCompared with the traditional inflation-deflation method, the fluorescence method can display the intersegmental line quickly, accurately and clearly, reduce the difficulty of surgery, shorten the operation time, and provide reliable technical support for thoracoscopic anatomical segmentectomy. The fluorescence is a safe and effective method that is worthy of clinical application.
Objective To investigate the benefits of using a stapler tractor in the treatment of segmental bronchus during lung segmentectomy through detailed video replay analysis of surgical procedures. Methods We collected data from patients who underwent segmentectomy performed by the same surgical team in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from November 2020 to August 2023. After excluding data that lacked analysis parameters, the remaining patients were divided into four groups based on the methods used for dissociating segmental bronchus: a stapler tractor group (group A), a stapler with bronchial stretching group (group B), a stapler only group (group C), and a silk ligature group (group D). Then, we compared baseline data and videotaped surgical details across all groups. Surgical details included the success rate of one-time segmental bronchus dissociation and severance, the time taken for successful one-time dissociation and severance of the segmental bronchus, the incidence of bleeding during bronchus dissociation, the conversion rate to thoracotomy during surgery, and surgical outcomes such as total operative time, postoperative hospitalization days, postoperative thoracic drainage volume, and pulmonary air leakage rate. Results The study included 325 patients (203 in the group A, 62 in the group B, 29 in the group C, and 31 in the group D). There was no statistically significant difference in baseline data among the four groups. However, significant differences were found in terms of total operation time, postoperative hospitalization days, intraoperative blood loss, segmental bronchial stump length, postoperative air leakage rate, hemorrhage rate during segmental bronchial dissociation, and conversion to thoracotomy rate among the four groups (P<0.05). ConclusionUsing a stapler tractor for dissociating segmental bronchus in lung segmentectomy results in shorter operative time, less risk of intraoperative bleeding, and less surgical complications. This study provides valuable evaluation methodologies through the analysis of video replay surgical details, contributing to the improvement of lung segmentectomy quality.
Objective To investigate the surgical procedure selection, operation technique and safety of anatomic sublobar resection for pulmonary nodules. Methods The clinical data of 242 patients with clinical stage ⅠA lung cancer who underwent anatomic sublobar resection in our hospital between 2017 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 81 males and 161 females with a median age of 57.0 (50.0, 65.0) years. They were divided into 4 groups according to the surgical methods, including a segmentectomy group (n=148), a combined segmentectomy group (n=31), an enlarged segmentectomy group (n=43) and an anatomic wedge resection group (n=20). The preoperative CT data, operation related indexes and early postoperative outcomes of each group were summarized. Results The median medical history of the patients was 4.0 months. The median maximum diameter of nodule on CT image was 1.1 cm, and the consolidation/tumor ratio (CTR) was ≤0.25 in 81.0% of the patients. A total of 240 patients were primary lung adenocarcinoma. The median operation time was 130.0 min, the median blood loss was 50.0 mL, the median chest drainage time was 3.0 d, and the hospitalization cost was (53.0±12.0) thousand yuan. The operation time of combined segmentectomy was longer than that of the segmentectomy group (P=0.001). The operation time (P=0.000), intraoperative blood loss (P=0.000), lymph nodes dissected (P=0.007) and cost of hospitalization (P=0.000) in the anatomic wedge resection group were shorter or less than those in the other three groups. There was no significant difference in the drainage time, total drainage volume, air leakage or postoperative hospital stay among the four groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The combined application of segmentectomy and wedge resection technique provides a more flexible surgical option for the surgical treatment of early lung cancer with ground glass opacity as the main component.
ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility and clinical value of free-of-puncture positioning in three-dimension-guided anatomical segmentectomy for ground-glass nodule (GGN) compared with percutaneous positioning.MethodsClinical data of 268 enrolled patients undergoing anatomical pulmonary segmentectomy from October 2018 to June 2019 were retrospectively collected, including 75 males and 193 females with an average age of 56.55±12.10 years. The patients were divided into two groups, including a percutaneous positioning group (n=89) and a free-of-puncture positioning group (n=179). Perioperative data of the two groups were compared.ResultsThe average CT scan times of the percutaneous positioning group was 3.01±0.98 times, and the numerical rating scale (NRS) score of puncture pain was 3.98±1.61 points. Pulmonary compression pneumothorax (≥30%) occurred in 7 (7.87%) patients and intercostal vascular hemorrhage occurred in 8 (8.99%) patients after puncture. Lung nodules were successfully found and removed in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the location of nodules (P=0.466), operation time (151.83±39.23 min vs. 154.35±33.19 min, P=0.585), margin width (2.07±0.35 cm vs. 1.98±0.28 cm, P=0.750), or the number of excised subsegments (2.83±1.13 vs. 2.73±1.16, P=0.530).ConclusionAnatomical segmentectomy with three-dimensional navigation avoids the adverse consequences of puncture, which has the same clinical efficacy and meets the requirements of oncology compared with percutaneous positioning. The free-of-puncture positioning method can be used for GGN located in the central region of pulmonary segment/subsegment or adjacent to intersegment veins instead of percutaneous positioning.
ObjectiveTo analyze the risk factors for complications after robotic segmentectomy.MethodsClinical data of 207 patients undergoing robot-assisted anatomical segmentectomy in our hospital from June 2015 to July 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 69 males and 138 females with a median age of 54.0 years. The relationship between clinicopathological factors and prolonged air leakage, pleural effusion, and pulmonary infection after surgery was analyzed.ResultsAfter robot-assisted segmentectomy, 20 (9.7%) patients developed prolonged air leakage (>5 d), 17 (8.2%) patients developed pleural effusion, and 4 (1.9%) patients developed pulmonary infection. Univariate logistic regression showed that body mass index (BMI, P=0.018), FEV1% (P=0.024), number of N1 lymph nodes resection (P=0.008) were related to prolonged air leakage after robot-assisted segmentectomy. Benign lesion was a risk factor for pleural effusion (P=0.013). The number of lymph node sampling stations was significantly related to the incidence of pulmonary infection (P=0.035). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the BMI (OR=0.73, P=0.012) and N1 lymph node sampling (OR=1.38, P=0.001) had a negative and positive relationship with prolonged air leakage after robot-assisted segmentectomy, respectively.ConclusionThe incidence of pulmonary complications after robot-assisted segmentectomy is low. The lower BMI and more N1 lymph node sampling is, the greater probability of prolonged air leakage is. Benign lesions and more lymph node sampling stations are risk factors for pleural effusion and lung infection, respectively. Attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of perioperative complications for patients with such risk factors.
ObjectiveTo compare and analyze the therapeutic effects of robot-assisted lobectomy and segmentectomy for stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer with a diameter≤2 cm. MethodsA total of 181 patients with pathologically confirmed stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer (diameter≤2 cm) who underwent robot-assisted lobectomy and segmentectomy in our hospital from 2018 to 2021 were included. There were 74 males and 107 females with an average age of 57.50±10.60 years. They were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure: a segmentectomy group (85 patients) and a lobectomy group (96 patients). ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of clinical data such as age, gender, smoking history, basic disease, pathological type, tumour diameter, operative time, postoperative 24 h drainage volume and overall complications (P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss (33.88±16.26 mL vs. 39.27±19.48 mL, P=0.046), groups of dissected lymph nodes (4.76±1.19 vs. 5.52±1.46, P=0.000), number of dissected lymph nodes (14.81±7.23 vs. 18.06±7.70, P=0.004) and postoperative 72 h drainage volume (561.65±225.31 mL vs. 649.84±324.34 mL, P=0.037) of patients in the segmentectomy were less than those in the lobectomy group. The chest drainage time (5.49±3.92 d vs. 7.60±4.96 d, P=0.002) and postoperative hospital stay time (7.47±4.16 d vs. 9.67±5.50 d, P=0.003) were shorter than those in the lobectomy group. There was no conversion to thoracotomy or perioperative death in the two groups. The postoperative follow-up rate was 100.0% with a longest follow-up time of 48 months. The 3-year recurrence-free survival rates of the segmentectomy group and lobectomy group were 87.7% and 92.4%, respectively (P=0.465). ConclusionThe da Vinci robot-assisted lobectomy and segmentectomy are safe and feasible surgical procedures for patients with stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer (diameter≤2 cm), with a similar 3-year recurrence-free survival rate. The lobectomy group has more lymph nodes dissected, while the segmentectomy group is superior to the lobectomy group in terms of intraoperative blood loss, postoperative 72 h chest drainage volume, chest drainage time and postoperative hospitalization time.
ObjectiveTo explore the value of artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic imaging system and three dimensional computed tomographic bronchoangiography (3D-CTBA) surgical planning system in the management of multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC).MethodsThe clinical data of 53 patients with MPLC treated surgically in our hospital from January 2018 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 16 males and 37 females, with a median age of 60 (39-75) years. The patients' preoperative CT was analyzed by AI and manually, and the data of patients who underwent 3D-CTBA were compiled to evaluate the value of AI and 3D-CTBA in the diagnosis and treatment of MPLC, respectively.Results The sensitivity of AI screening for MPLC was 84.91%. The sensitivity (91.90% vs. 83.78%) and accuracy (85.60% vs. 84.00%) of AI diagnosis of high-risk MPLC infiltrative lesions were better than those of manual diagnosis. 3D-CTBA was used for planning the surgery in 12 patients, and the intraoperative situation was generally consistent with the reconstructed results.ConclusionAI is of high value in identifying infiltrative lesions of MPLC. 3D-CTBA reconstruction of anatomical structures is accurate and can guide preoperative planning.
As the incidence of lung cancer continues to rise, segmentectomy has emerged as a favored surgical technique for treating selective early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients, gaining increasing support from thoracic surgery specialists. However, there remains a deficiency in clinical guidance concerning indications and other related aspects for segmentectomy. In April 2023, a collaborative effort among 15 Asia thoracic surgery experts led to the publication of the "Asian expert consensus on segmentectomy in non-small cell lung cancer: A modified Delphi study". This study presents a total of 36 expert consensus agreements across three aspects: patient indications, surgical approaches, lymph node assessment, outlining key principles of them. This paper intends to provide a brief interpretation of these consensuses for the reference of colleagues in clinical practice.
Objective To evaluate the security and clinical value of the combination of three-dimensional computed tomography-bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) and indocyanine green (ICG) staining in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) segmentectomy. Methods The clinical data of 125 patients who received VATS segmentectomy from January 2020 to January 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 40 (32.0%) males and 85 (68.0%) females with an average age of 54.8±11.1 years. Results The procedure was almost identical to the preoperative simulation. All intersegment planes were displayed successfully by ICG reverse staining method. There was no allergic patient. A total of 130 pathological specimens were obtained from the 125 patients. The mean operation time was 126.8±41.9 min, the time of first appearance of fluorescence was 22.7±4.9 s, the mean mark time was 65.6±20.3 s, the median blood loss was 20.0 (10.0-400.0) mL, the postoperative hospital stay was 5.6 (4.0-28.0) d, and the postoperative retention of chest tube time was 3.2 (2.0-25.0) d. Pathological results showed that microinvasive adenocarcinoma was the most common type (38.5%, 50/130), followed by invasive adenocarcinoma (36.9%, 48/130); there were 3 metastatic tumors (3/130, 2.3%).Conclusion The combination of 3D-CTBA and ICG reverse staining is proved to be a safe, necessary and feasible method. It solves the difficult work encountered in the procedure of segmentectomy, and it is worth popularizing and applying in clinic.
