ObjectiveTo discuss the safety, feasibility and short-term clinical efficacy of thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal mass resection in lithotomy position via subxiphoid approach or lateral position via transthoracic approach.MethodsA total of 44 patients suffering anterior mediastinal tumor enrolled, including 21 patients (10 males and 11 females as a trial group) with an average age of 43.6±11.8 years who have been performed thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor resection in lithotomy position via subxiphoid approach and 23 patients (13 males and 10 females as a control group) with an average age of 45.3±10.8 years who have been performed thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor resection in lateral position via transthoracic approach. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared.ResultsPostoperative chest drainage time (3.8±1.3 d vs. 5.0±1.8 d, P=0.017), postoperative drainage volume (238.8±66.2 mL vs. 467.2±120.0 mL, P=0.000), postoperative mean visual analogue score at 24 h (2.5±0.9 point vs. 4.9±1.0 point, P=0.000), times of self-pressure analgesic pump (3.7±0.9 vs. 8.4±2.0, P=0.000), duration of postoperative hospital stay (4.7±1.3 d vs. 7.4±3.1 d, P=0.000) and hospitalization cost (34±8 kyaun vs. 44±11 kyuan P=0.001) in the trial group were all better than those in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in surgical duration (59.0±18.1 min vs. 60.4±16.4 min) (P>0.05). During follow-up, no recurrence or metastasis occurred in either group.ConclusionCompared with the lateral position through the transthoracic approach, the lithotomy position through subxiphoid approach of thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal mass resection is safe and feasible, and has certain advantages.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical characteristics of uniportal and three-port subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (XVATS) extended thymectomy.MethodsThe clinical data of 60 consecutive patients of XVATS thymectomy in Xuzhou Central Hospital from January 2017 to May 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 29 males and 31 females, with an average age of 53.1 (27.0-76.0) years. The patients were divided into an uniportal XVATS group (30 patients) and a three-port XVATS group (30 patients). The clinical effectiveness was compared between the two groups.ResultsThere was no significant difference in age, sex, body mass index, tumor size, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative time of thoracic tube indwelling and thoracic drainage, or postoperative hospitalization time between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no perioperative mortality, conversion to thoracotomy, thrombosis or mediastinal infection. The operation time of the uniportal XVATS group was significantly longer than that of the three-port group (87.5±19.0 min vs. 75.8±15.7 min, P=0.012). Besides, patients in the uniportal group had significantly lower pain score during 3-14 postoperative days than that of the three-port group (P=0.001).ConclusionUniportal XVATS extended thymectomy is feasible with less pain as compared with the patients using three-port XVATS, but it needs longer operation time at initial stage.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the correlation between positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung surgery. MethodsThe clinical data of patients who underwent elective thoracoscopic lung surgery at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2022 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to intraoperative PEEP levels: a PEEP 5 cm H2O group and a PEEP 10 cm H2O group. The incidence of PPCs in the two groups after matching was compared using a nearest neighbor matching method with a ratio of 1∶1, setting the clamp value as 0.02. ResultsA total of 538 patients were screened, and after propensity score-matching, a total of 229 pairs (458 patients) were matched, with an average age of 53.9 years and 69.4% (318/458) females. A total of 118 (25.8%) patients had PPCs during hospitalization after surgery, including 60 (26.2%) patients in the PEEP 5 cm H2O group and 58 (25.3%) patients in the PEEP 10 cm H2O group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups [OR=0.997, 95%CI (0.495, 1.926), P=0.915]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PEEP was not an independent risk factor for PPCs [OR=0.920, 95%CI (0.587, 1.441), P=0.715]. ConclusionFor patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung surgery, intraoperative PEEP (5 cm H2O or 10 cm H2O) is not associated with the risk of PPCs during hospitalization after surgery, which needs to be further verified by prospective, large-sample randomized controlled studies.
Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of thulium laser wedge resection of the lung under uniportal thoracoscopy with the other two traditional surgical methods (mechanical cutting stapler wedge resection and segmentectomy) in the treatment of small pulmonary nodules.MethodsClinical data of 125 patients with small pulmonary nodules receiving uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery from December 2017 to December 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 33 patients had thulium laser wedge resection (a thulium laser group), including 10 males and 23 females, with an average age of 59.21±11.31 years; 48 patients had mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection (a mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection group), including 17 males and 31 females, with an average age of 57.27±11.30 years; and 44 patients had pulmonary segmentectomy (a pulmonary segmentectomy group), including 21 males and 23 females, with an average age of 63.00±9.68 years. The surgical margin air leakage, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, drainage days, average daily drainage volume, fever, pain and hospitalization expenses were compared among the three groups. ResultsThe body mass index, gender, smoking history, benign and malignant pathological results, average maximum diameter of lesions and lesion location distribution were not statistically different among the three groups (P>0.05). The average age and the proportion of pleural adhesions in the thulium laser group were not statistically different from those of the other two groups (P>0.05). In the distribution of the number of lesions, the proportion of multiple lesions in the mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection group was higher than that of the other two groups, and there was no statistical difference between the other two groups. The intraoperative blood loss in the thulium laser group was less than that of the other two groups (P≤0.05). There was no statistical difference in the classification of surgical margin air leakage or the operation time among the three groups (P>0.05). The proportion of postoperative fever and hospitalization expenses in the thulium laser group were lower or less than those of the other two groups (P<0.05). The length of hospitalization stay and postoperative chest tube placement in the thulium laser group was significantly shorter than that of the pulmonary segmentectomy group (P<0.05), which was not statistically different from the mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection group (P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in the average daily drainage volume or the proportion of pain among the three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The thulium laser wedge resection under uniportal thoracoscopy is a safe, effective and economical method for the treatment of small pulmonary nodules.
Objective To compare the perioperative outcomes of atypical segmentectomy between robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) and conventional video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MethodsThe data of patients who underwent minimally invasive anatomic atypical segmentectomy in our hospital from October 2016 to December 2021 were collected. These patients were divided into a RATS group and a VATS group according to the operation method. Propensity score (PS) matching was used to select patients with close clinical baseline characteristics, and the perioperative results of the two groups were compared. ResultsA total of 1 048 patients were enrolled, including 320 males and 728 females, with a mean age of 53.51±11.13 years. There were 277 patients in the RATS group and 771 patients in the VATS group. After 1∶1 PS matching, 277 pairs were selected. Both groups were well balanced for age, sex, smoking history, body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, pulmonary function, tumor size, tumor location, and histological type. All patients were R0 resection, and there were no deaths within 30 days after surgery. The RATS group had shorter operative time [85 (75, 105) min vs. 115 (95, 140) min, P<0.001] and less blood loss [50 (30, 100) mL vs. 60 (50, 100) mL, P=0.001]. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in lymph node resection, conversion to thoracotomy, thoracic drainage time, total amount of thoracic drainage or postoperative complications (P>0.05). ConclusionBoth RATS and VATS atypical segmentectomies are safe and feasible for early-stage NSCLC. RATS can effectively shorten the operative time, and reduce blood loss.
ObjectiveTo explore the safety and feasibility of 3D precise localization based on anatomical markers in the treatment of pulmonary nodules during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).MethodsFrom June 2019 to April 2015, 27 patients with pulmonary nodules underwent VATS in our Hospital were collected in the study, including 3 males and 24 females aged 51.8±13.7 years. The surgical data were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed, such as localization time, localization accuracy rate, pathological results, complication rate and postoperative hospital stay.ResultsA total of 28 pulmonary nodules were localized via this method. All patients received surgery successfully. No mortality or major morbidity occurred. The general mean localization time was 17.6±5.8 min, with an accuracy of 96.4%. The mean diameter of pulmonary nodules was 14.0±8.0 mm with a mean distance from visceral pleura of 6.5±5.4 mm. There was no localization related complication. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.7±4.3 d. The routine pathological result showed that 78.6% of the pulmonary nodules were adenocarcinoma.Conclusion3D precise localization based on anatomical markers in the treatment of pulmonary nodules during thoracoscopic surgery is accurate, safe, effective, economical and practical, and it is easy to master with a short learning curve.
Objective To compare the effect of three-dimensional visual (3DV) model, three-dimensional printing (3DP) model and computer-aided design (CAD) modified 3DP model in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) sublobular resection. MethodsThe clinical data of patients who underwent VATS sublobular resection in the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from November 2021 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 3 groups including a 3DV group, a 3DP group and a CAD-3DP group according to the tools used. The perioperative indexes and subjective evaluation of operators, patients and their families were compared. ResultsA total of 22 patients were included. There were 5 males and 17 females aged 32-77 (56.95±12.50) years. There were 9 patients in the 3DV group, 6 patients in the 3DP group, and 7 patients in the CAD-3DP group. There was no statistical difference in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, drainage volume, hospital stay time or postoperative complications among the groups (P>0.05). Based on the subjective evaluations of 4 surgeons, the CAD-3DP group was better than the 3DV group in the preoperative planning efficiency (P=0.025), intuitiveness (P=0.045) and doctor-patient communication difficulty (P=0.034); the CAD-3DP group was also better than the 3DP group in the overall satisfaction (P=0.023), preoperative planning difficulty (P=0.046) and efficiency (P=0.014). Based on the subjective evaluations of patients and their families, the CAD-3DP group was better than the 3DP group in helping understand the vessel around the tumor (P=0.016), surgical procedure (P=0.020), procedure selection (P=0.029), and overall satisfaction (P=0.048); the CAD-3DP group was better than the 3DV group in helping understand the tumor size (P=0.038). ConclusionCAD-modified 3DP model has certain advantages in pre-planning, intraoperative navigation and doctor-patient communication in the VATS sublobectomy.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and clinical effect of controlled hypotension in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for subcarinal lymph node dissection in patients with lung cancer.MethodsWe analyzed the clinical data of 53 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing VATS with controlled systolic blood pressure while dissecting the subcarinal lymph node from September to October 2016 in our department (a treatment group, including 31 males and 22 females with an average age of 53.20±8.80 years ranging 43-68 years). We selected 112 NSCLC patients undergoing VATS without controlled systolic blood pressure while dissecting the subcarinal lymph node from January to August 2016 in our department (a contol group, including 67 males and 45 females with an average age of 54.32±7.81 years ranging 39-73 years). The clinical data of both groups were compared.ResultsThe operation time and blood loss of the treatment group were less than those of the control group (177.6±39.4 min vs. 194.3±47.8 min, 317.9±33.6 ml vs. 331.2±38.7 ml, P<0.05). The duration of subcarinal lymph node dissection and total duration of lymph node dissection of the treatment group were also less than those of the control group (10.5±4.3 min vs. 13.6±5.2 min, 37.7±7.5 min vs. 48.7±6.4 min, P<0.001). The thoracic drainage at postoperative days 1, 2, 3 and total drainage volume, duration of tube placement and hospital stay of the treatment group were less than those of the control group (P<0.05). Whereas the postoperative complications of the two groups did not differ significantly (P>0.05).ConclusionControlled hypotension reduces the difficulty of dissecting subcarinal lymph nodes and the risk of bleeding, and produces less drainage volume, which is safe and effective.
Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Single-incision thoracoscopic surgery (SITS) and two-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (2P-VATS) in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods The databases of CNKI, PubMed, The Cochrane Libray, Web of Science, EMbase, Wanfang and Chinese Medical Association were searched by computer. Literature on SITS treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax from the establishment of the database to March 2023. The data are processed with RevMan 5.4.1. Results Finally, 107 studies were included, including 35 RCTs, 2 cohort studies, and 70 case-control studies. Meta analysis results show that compared to 2P-VATS and three port video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (3P-VATS), SITS had a shorter surgical time [SMD=–0.53, 95%CI (–0.90, –0.16), P=0.005], less intraoperative bleeding [SMD=–1.58, 95%CI (–1.93, –1.22), P<0.000 01; SMD=–1.59, 95%CI (–2.03,–1.14), P<0.000 01], shorter postoperative hospitalization time [SMD=–1.05, 95%CI (–1.29,–0.82), P<0.000 01; SMD=–1.08, 95%CI (–1.39,–0.77), P<0.000 01], and shorter postoperative drainage (catheterization) time [SMD=–0.75, 95%CI (–1.00,–0.50), P<0.000 01; SMD=–1.23, 95%CI (–1.72,–0.75), P<0.000 01], fewer postoperative complications [OR=0.34, 95%CI (0.26,0.45), P<0.000 01; OR=0.47, 95%CI (0.33,0.68), P<0.000 1], fewer postoperative recurrences [OR=0.50, 95%CI (0.33,0.75), P=0.000 8], and lighter postoperative pain [SMD=–1.71, 95%CI (–1.98,–1.45), P<0.000 01; SMD=–2.02, 95%CI (–2.46,–1.59), P<0.000 01]. Compared with 3P-VATS, 2P-VATS had less intraoperative bleeding [SMD=–1.02, 95%CI (–1.81,–0.22), P=0.01] , shorter postoperative hospitalization time [SMD=–0.59, 95%CI (–1.11,–0.06), P=0.03], shorter postoperative drainage (catheterization) time [SMD=–0.46, 95%CI (–0.85,–0.08), P=0.02], fewer postoperative complications [OR=0.36, 95%CI (0.22,0.59), P<0.000 1] , and lighter postoperative pain [SMD=–0.80, 95%CI (–1.08,–0.53), P<0.000 01]. Conclusion SITS and 2P-VATS are an effective and safe method for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax and worthy of further promotion and application in clinical practice. Due to limitations in the quantity and quality of included studies, the above conclusions require more large-sample, high-quality studies to be verified.
ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of early chest tube removal following single-direction uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (S-UVATS) anatomical lobectomy. MethodsThe clinical data of consecutive VATS lobectomy by different surgeons in Xuzhou Central Hospital between May 2019 and February 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Finally, the data of 1 084 patients were selected for analysis, including 538 males and 546 females, with a mean age of 61.0±10.1 years. These patients were divided into a S-UVATS group with 558 patients and a conventional group (C-UVATS) with 526 patients according to the surgical procedures. The perioperative parameters such as operation time, blood loss were recorded. In addition, we assessed the amount of residual pleural effusion and the probability of secondary thoracentesis when taking 300 mL/d and 450 mL/d as the threshold of chest tube removal. ResultsTumor-negative surgical margin was achieved without mortality in this cohort. As compared with the C-UVATS group, patients in the S- UVATS group demonstrated significantly shorter operation time (P<0.001), less blood loss (P=0.002), lower rate of conversion to multiple-port VATS or thoracotomy (P=0.003), but more stations and numbers of dissected lymph nodes as well as less suture staplers (P<0.001). Moreover, patients in the S-UVATS demonstrated shorter chest tube duration, less total volume of thoracic drainage and shorter postoperative hospital stay, with statistical differences (P<0.001). After excluding patients of chylothorax and prolonged air leaks>7 d, subgroup analysis was performed. First, assuming that 300 mL/d was the threshold for chest tube removal, as compared with the C-UVATS group, patients in the S-UVATS group would report less residual pleural effusion and less necessitating second thoracentesis with residual pleural effusion>500 mL (P<0.05). Second, assuming that 450 mL/d was the threshold for chest tube removal, as compared with the C-UVATS group, the S-UVATS group would also report less residual pleural effusion and less necessitating second thoracentesis with residual pleural effusion>500 mL (P<0.05). Further multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that S-UVATS was significantly negatively related to drainage volume>1 000 mL (P<0.05); whereas combined lobectomy, longer operation time, more blood loss and air leakage were independent risk factors correlated with drainage volume>1 000 mL following UVATS lobectomy (P<0.05). ConclusionThe short-term efficacy of S-UVATS lobectomy is significantly better than that of the conventional group, indicating shorter operation time and less chest drainage. However, early chest tube removal with a high threshold of thoracic drainage volume probably increases the risk of secondary thoracentesis due to residual pleural effusion.
