Abstract： Objective To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and clinical outcome of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS） lobectomy for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 160 consecutive patients（the VATS group, 83 males and 77 females with average age at 60.8 years）with early-stage NSCLC who underwent complete VATS lobectomy between January 2005 andDecember 2008 in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University，and compared them with 357 patients（the thoracotomy group, 222 males and 135 females with average age at 59.5 years）who underwent open thoracotomy in the same period. Results The conversion rate of the VATS group was 5.0%（8/160）. The operation time of the VATS group was significantly shorter than that of the thoracotomy group（113.0 min vs.125.0 min, P=0.039）. Length of postoperative hospital stay was not statistically different between the two groups（10.3±4.3 d vs.9.1±4.6 d，P=0.425）. The postoperative morbidity of the VATS lobectomy group and the thoracotomy group was 9.4%（15/160）and 10.1% （36/357） respectively，and the postoperative mortality of the two groups was 0.6%（1/160）and 2.0%（7/357）respectively. There was no statistical difference in the mean group of lymph node dissection （2.4±1.5 groups vs.2.4±1.7 groups，P=0.743） and the mean number of lymph node dissection （9.8±6.3 vs.10.1±6.4，P=0.626） between the two groups. The overall 5-year survival rate of the VATS group was significantly higher than that of the thoracotomy group （81.5% vs.67.8%, P=0.001）. Subgroup analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate of pⅠa stage, pⅠb stage, and pⅢa stage was 86.0%, 84.5%, and 58.8% respectively in the VATS group, and 92.9%, 76.4%, and 25.3% respectively in the thoracotomy group. Conclusion Complete VATS lobectomy is technically safe and feasible for patients with early-stage NSCLC. The lymph node dissection extension of complete VATS lobectomy is similar to that of open thoracotomy, and long-term outcome of complete VATS lobectomy is superior to that of open thoracotomy. Randomized controlled trials of large sample size are further needed to demonstrate superiority.
ObjectiveTo compare clinical outcomes between video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and conventional surgery for the treatment of multiple rib fractures. MethodsA total of 173 consecutive patients with multiple rib fractures were admitted to Dujiangyan People's Hospital from January 2010 to December 2012. There were 122 males and 51 females with their age of 19-71 (41.3±7.1) years. According to different treatment strategies, all the patients were divided into 3 groups:conservative treatment group (83 patients with a mean of 4.9±1.3 fractured ribs, including 20 patients with flail chest), conventional surgery group (41 patients with a mean of 5.2±1.1 fractured ribs, including 11 patients with flail chest) and VATS group (49 patients with a mean of 5.3±1.5 fractured ribs, including 14 patients with flail chest). Length of hospital stay, duration of postoperative pain, incision length, operation time, chest drainage duration and morbidity were compared among the 3 groups. ResultsThe incision length (5.2±1.5 cm vs. 8.5±2.3 cm, P=0.031), operation time (1.1±0.3 hours vs. 1.8±0.2 hours, P=0.003), chest drainage duration (0.3±0.0 day vs. 3.2±1.1 days, P=0.007) and length of hospital stay (13.7±1.5 days vs. 17.3±2.3 days, P=0.017) of VATS group were significantly shorter than those of the conventional surgery group. A total of 159 patients were followed up, and chest x-ray was examined at 1, 3 and 6 months after discharge. After 3 months, bone callus formation was evident around the rib fractures in chest x-ray in patients undergoing surgery, while bone union with deformity was shown in some patients of the conservative group. ConclusionWith the development of various internal fixation materials, surgical internal fixation has become a trend for patients with multiple rib fractures, and VATS internal fixation is minimally invasive with satisfactory clinical outcomes.
ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lung resection in the treatment of tuberculosis.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 164 tuberculosis patients who underwent lung resection in Xi'an Chest Hospital from 2013 to 2017. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure: a VATS group (85 patients, 56 males and29 females) and a thoracotomy group (79 patients, 52 males and 27 females). The clinical effect of the two groups was compared.Results Compared to the thoracotomy group, the VATS group had less operation time (151.59±76.75 min vs. 233.48±93.89 min, P<0.001), amount of intraoperative blood loss (200.00 ml vs. 600.00 ml, P<0.001), the postoperative drainage (575.00 ml vs. 1 110.00 ml, P=0.001), extubation time (4 d vs. 6 d, P<0.001) and hospital stay (13.00 d vs. 17.00 d, P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in postoperative complications (10 patients vs.17 patients, P=0.092) between the two groups. A total of 97 patients underwent lobectomy, including 36 of the VATS group and 61 of the thoracotomy group. The operation time (211.39±70.88 min vs. 258.20±87.16 min, P=0.008), the intraoperative blood loss (400.00 ml vs. 700 ml, P<0.010), the postoperative drainage (800.00 ml vs. 1 250.00 ml, P=0.001), extubation time (5.00 d vs. 8.00 d, P=0.002) and hospital stay (13.11±4.45 d vs. 19.46±7.74 d, P<0.010) in the VATS group were significantly better than those in the thoracotomy group. There was no statistical difference in postoperative complication rate (4 patients vs. 14 patients, P=0.147) between the two[1], groups.ConclusionCompared with conventional thoracotomy, VATS lung resection has obvious advantages in treatment of tuberculosis, which may be the preferred technique.
[Abstract]Acute cardiac tamponade after thoracoscopic lobectomy is extremely rare and highly lethal once it occurs. This paper reports a case of a 64-year-old male with preoperative hypertension and coronary heart disease who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic right upper lung wedge resection for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Three hours postoperatively, he suddenly developed hypotension and loss of consciousness. Ultrasound indicated a large amount of pericardial effusion, suggesting cardiac tamponade. Despite emergency pericardiocentesis, his hemodynamics did not improve, and the patient went into cardiac arrest. Subsequent veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was performed to support systemic circulation, and emergency thoracotomy was carried out. During the surgery, a needle-like tear in the anterior wall of the ascending aorta was found, corresponding exactly to a prominent staple at the lung resection margin, suggesting a stapler malfunction. After vascular repair, the patient recovered smoothly and was discharged. This case suggests that during lung resection, great attention should be paid to the integrity of staples and anatomical variations of large vessels, and vigilance is needed for rare but potentially fatal stapler-related complications.
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of perioperative fine management on patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for pulmonary nodule in day surgery mode.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the data of patients undergoing VATS for pulmonary nodule in Day Surgery Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University between June 2019 and October 2020. The number of VATS procedures and general data of patients were collected. The effects of fine management on postoperative intrathoracic drain management, pain management, and diet management, as well as the postoperative follow-up and satisfaction survey were analyzed.ResultsA total of 162 patients were enrolled. The duration of postoperative chest drainage of 150 VATS patients who discharged from the hospital with normal extubation lasted for 5 to 22 h with an average of (10.88±3.54) h. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, method of surgery, and immediate postoperative pain score were not associated with delayed removal of thoracic drainage tube (>10 h) (P>0.05). The lowest score of numerical rating scale for pain intensity was 0 (painless) and the highest was 4 (moderate pain). After surgery, 12 patients (7.4%) were transferred out of the day surgery department, 2 patients (1.2%) were indwelled postoperative urinary catheter, 11 patients (6.8%) had unplanned revisit, and 6 patients (3.7%) had unplanned readmission. Patient satisfaction surveys were all satisfactory.ConclusionsThe implementation of fine management in VATS for pulmonary nodule in day surgery mode is beneficial for ensuring that patients can remove the drainage tube before discharge from the hospital, without severe pain after the operation and with good follow-up satisfaction.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of single utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobec-tomy in the treatment of benign pulmonary diseases. MethodsFrom January 2011 to April 2014, 48 patients with benign pulmonary diseases underwent single utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. The patients included 21 males and 27 females, with their mean age of 47.4 years. There were 5 patients received right upper lobectomy, right middle lobectomy in 5 patients, right lower lobectomy in 5 patients, left upper lobectomy in 8 patients, and left lower lobectomy in 20 patients. the clinical outcomes included operation time, intraoperative blood loss, chest drainage duration, postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complications. ResultsThere were 2 patients conversion to open surgery. The average operation time was 147.2±50.4 min, intraopera-tive blood loss was 160.2±25.3 ml, postoperative chest drainage duration was 4.8±2.8 d, postoperative hospital stay was 7.4±1.9 d. There was no hospital death or serious postoperative complications. Postoperative pathological diagnosis showed bronchiectasis in 17 patients, inflammatory pseudotumor in 11 patients, tuberculosis in 9 patients, aspergillosis in 4 patients, pulmonary sequestration in 3 patients, bronchogenic cyst in 2 patients, pulmonary abscess in 1 patient, and hamartoma in 1 patient. No long-term complications were noticed in 48 patients during a mean follow-up of 6 months. ConclusionSingle utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is safe and feasible in the treatment of benign pulmonary diseases.
Objective To evaluate the validity of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) pneumonectomy in thoracic diseases treatment. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 34 consecutive patients who underwent VATS pneumonectomy in Xiangya Hospital Central South University between January 2013 and October 2015. There were 26 males and 8 females at age of 35–69 (53.8±7.7) years. Results VATS pneumonectomy was completed successfully in 32 patients (5.8% conversion rate). The average operation time was 182.5±52.4 min. The average blood loss was 217.1±1 834.8 ml. Chest tube drainage flow was 3–11 (6.0±1.7) days and postoperative hospital stay was 5–12 (7.6±1.8) days. Eleven patients got postoperative complications (34.3%), mainly pulmonary infections. The 32 patients were followed up for 10 (1–21) months. Two patients died of lung metastasis 16 or 17 months after the operation. One patient died of sudden cardiac arrest 3 months after operation. Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) happened in one patient after hospital discharge in 2 months. Conclusion VATS is feasible for pneumonectomy. However, further studies and follow-up are needed to verify the benefits of VATS pneumonectomy for lung cancer.
Objective To evaluate the safety，efficacy，short- and long-term clinical outcomes of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS） lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods Clinical data of231 consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent complete VATS lobectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of NanjingMedical University between June 2006 and March 2011 were retrospective analyzed. There were 132 male and 99 femalepatients with their age of 15-81 （59.51±11.90） years. Preoperative cancer staging wasⅠa in 149 patients，Ⅰb in 50 patients，Ⅱa in 14 patients，Ⅱb in 13 patients and Ⅲa in 5 patients. There were 152 patients with adenocarcinoma，41 patients with squamous carcinoma，23 patients with bronchioalveolar carcinoma，5 patients with adenosquamous carcinoma，4 patients with large cell carcinoma，and 6 patients with other carcinoma. Follow-up data were statistically analyzed，and short-and long-term survival rates were calculated. Results No perioperative mortality was observed. Operation time was 60-370（199.14±51.04） minutes，and intraoperative blood loss was 10-2 300 （168.19±176.39） ml. Thirty-seven patients had postoperative complications including air leak，pulmonary infection，atelectasis，arrhythmia，subcutaneous emphysema andothers，who were all cured after conservative treatment. Mean number of dissected lymph nodes was 11.14±5.49，and meannumber of explored nodal stations was 3.66±1.52. There were 51 patients （22.08%） whose postoperative cancer staging wasmore advanced than preoperative cancer staging. Postoperative hospital stay was 3-36 （10.79±5.13） days. Primary causesof prolonged postoperative hospitalization included pulmonary air leak，pulmonary infection，preoperative concomitant chronic pulmonary diseases （COPD，asthma），and moderate to severe pulmonary dysfunction. A total of 228 patients werefollowed up for a mean duration of 40.83 months （22-82 months），and 3 patients were lost during follow-up. Overall 5-yearsurvival rates were 85.78%，52.54% and 32.70% for stageⅠ，stageⅡand stageⅢ-Ⅳpatients respectively. Five-year cancerfreesurvival rates were 80.00%，45.37% and 20.99% for stageⅠ，stageⅡand stageⅢ-Ⅳpatients respectively. ConclusionThe advantages of VATS lobectomy include smaller surgical incision，less injury and postoperative pain，quicker postoperative recovery and shorter hospital stay. Long-term survival rate is comparable to previous international and Chinese studies. VATS lobectomy can anatomically achieve complete tumor resection and systematic lymph node dissection. VATS lobectomy will become a standard surgical procedure for NSCLC patients.
ObjectiveTo explore the surgical procedures for primary spontaneous pneumothorax without bullae. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 52 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax without bullae, who underwent surgical treatment in Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between January 2008 and January 2013. There were 46 males and 6 females, with mean average age of 23.2±4.3 years (ranged from 16 to 34 years). According to the different methods of intraoperative surgery, all patients were divided into three groups. The patients in a group Ⅰ (n=20) underwent video-assisted thoracoscope (VATS) selective apex of low energy electric coagulation treatment. The patients in a group Ⅱ (n=21) underwent VATS lung tip part of lung resection. The patients in a group Ⅲ (n=11) received VATS resection of the pleura. The clinical effectiveness among the three groups was compared. ResultsCompared with other two kinds of operation schemes,the leak duration(2.61±1.89 d vs. 4.90±3.20 d vs. 5.36±2.57 d, P=0.012), postoperative chest tube drainage time (3.67±2.13 d vs. 6.00±3.73 d vs. 7.03±2.58 d, P=0.003), postoperative length of hospital stay (4.95±2.16 d vs. 7.35±3.03 d vs. 8.61±2.67 d, P=0.002) and the recurrence rate (0.0% vs. 23.1% vs. 12.5%, P=0.021) of the patients with lung tip part resection of lung tissue by VATS were significantly lower. There were no statistically significant differences in the indicators of the patients with selective apex of low energy electric coagulation by VATS and those with pleural resection by VATS (P>0.05). ConclusionLung tip part of the lung tissue resection by VATS for primary spontaneous pneumothorax without bullae is better than VATS selective apical low energy coagulation treatment and VATS resection of the pleura both in the short and long-term efficacy.
Objective To systematically evaluate the difference in clinical outcomes between subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SVATS) and intercostal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (IVATS) for anterior mediastinal tumor resection. Methods Online databases including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Sinomed, CNKI, Wanfang from inception to December 19, 2022 were searched by two researchers independently for literature comparing the clinical efficacy of SVATS and IVATS in treating anterior mediastinal tumors. Two researchers independently screened literature and extracted relevant data. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3. ResultsA total of 12 studies with 1 517 patients were enrolled. NOS score≥6 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the IVATS, SVATS had less blood loss (MD=−17.76, 95%CI −34.21 to −1.31, P=0.030), less total postoperative drainage volume (MD=−70.46, 95%CI −118.88 to −22.03, P=0.004), shorter duration of postoperative drainage tube retention (MD=−0.84, 95%CI −1.57 to −0.10, P=0.030), lower rate of postoperative lung infections (OR=0.33, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.70, P=0.004), lower postoperative 24 h VAS pain score (MD=−1.95, 95%CI −2.64 to −1.25, P＜0.001) and 72 h VAS pain score (MD=−1.76, 95%CI −2.55 to −0.97, P＜0.001), and shorter postoperative hospital stay (MD=−1.12, 95%CI −1.80 to −0.45, P=0.001). There was no statistical difference in the operation time, the incidence of postoperative complications, incidence of postoperative phrenic nerve palsy or incidence of postoperative arrhythmia (P＞0.05). ConclusionSVATS for the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumors has high safety. Compared with the IVATS, the patients have less intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume, lower risk of postoperative pulmonary infection, less postoperative short-term pain, and shorter postoperative catheter duration and hospital stay, which is more conducive to rapid postoperative recovery.