Abstract： Objective To compare clinical outcomes of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （cVATS） lobectomy with routine thoracotomy lobectomy for the treatment of bronchiectasis, and evaluate the feasibility, safety and specific considerations of cVATS lobectomy for the treatment of bronchiectasis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 115 patients who underwent lobectomy for the treatment of bronchiectasis in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from May 2009 to January 2012. According to the way of operation, these patients were divided into two groups （cVATS group and thoracotomy group）. In the thoracotomy group, there were 62 patients （28 males and 34 females with an age of 46.2±11.9 years） who underwent routine thoracotomy lobectomy. In the cVATS group, there were 53 patients （19 males and 34 females with an age of 45.7±12.2 years） who underwent cVATS lobectomy. Operation time, intra-operative blood loss, postoperative thoracic drainage, complications and hospitalization, and cost of hospitalization were compared between the two groups. Results There was no perioperative death in all patients. There was no statistical difference in operation time between the two groups. Intra-operative blood loss of thoracotomy group patients was significantly higher than that of cVATS group patients （228.8±121.7 ml vs. 157.1±123.8 ml, t=2.592, P=0.011）. Postoperative thoracic drainage （866.7±439.5 ml vs. 1 805.3±466.7 ml, t=9.003，P=0.000）, duration of chest tube drainage （6.6±3.3 d vs. 9.8±4.6 d,t=3.339，P=0.001）, and postoperative hospitalization （7.5±2.2 d vs. 11.2±5.4 d, t=3.424，P=0.001） of cVATS group were significantly lower than those of thoracotomy group. The cost of hospitalization of cVATS group was significantly higher than that of thoracotomy group （38 543.6±11 051.8 yuan vs. 30 523.4±10 028.5 yuan，t=3.423, P=0.001）. There was no statistical difference in postoperative complications between the two groups （P＞0.05）. Forty-five patients in cVATS group were followed up for 2 to 14 months. Among them, 42 patients completely had no sputum or haemoptysis and 3 patients still intermittently had some sputum. Conclusion cVATS lobectomy is safe and feasible for the treatment of bronchiectasis. Compared with routine thoracotomy lobectomy, cVATS lobectomy does not increase surgical risk, but can significantly reduce operation injury and length of hospital stay. During cVATS, the lung residual should be handled cautiously especially for patients with nonanatomic pulmonary resection, and the non-single-order operation is recommended.
Abstract： Objective To explore the method and effect of single utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS） for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. Methods From Jan. 2008 to Jun. 2010, 158 patients with pulmonary diseases were treated by single working pore VATS in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Their diseases included 6 kinds of different lesions, such as pneumothorax（inflammatory pseudotumor, hamartoma, lymphangiomyomatosis） , lung tuberculoma, and lung carcinoma. Seventy patients had definite diagnosis before their operation, and the others had their final diagnosis by intraoperative frozen section evaluation and postoperative pathology examination. All the resections were carried out by pure thoracoscopic procedures with two ports, one working pore and one observing pore. A 28-Fr chest tube was placed to the pleural apex. Limited lung resection was performed in 151 patients, single lobectomy in 7 patients, and simultaneous bilateral operation in 6 patients. Results For limited lung resection patients, the average operation time was 18 （5-60） min, and the average blood loss was 33 （5-95） ml. No patient needed intraoperative blood transfusion . Ten patients received an increased pore, including 6 patients with pleural cavity obliteration or abundant pleural adhesions, and 4 patients with intraoperative bleeding . The average postoperative length of stay was 2.5 （2-4） days, and the average medical cost was 17 884 （15 476-25 387） Yuan. For patients undergoing lobectomy and lymph node dissection, the average operation time was 128 （50-220） min, and the average blood loss was 180 （80-478） ml. No patient needed intraoperative blood transfusion. One patient received an increased pore. The average postoperative length of stay was 4.7 （4-7） days, and the average medical cost was 42 385 （38 965-57 695） Yuan. No perioperative death or severe complications were observed in present series. Conclusion Single utility port VATS is a safe and efficient procedure with good patient recovery. It is a method of choice for selected patients with pulmonary diseases.
ObjectiveTo determine if comfort level was associated with chest tube size(16F or 28F) among lung cancer patients with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. MethodsWe performed VATS lobectomy for 163 patients with lung cancer in our hospital between February and May 2014. There were 70 males 93 females. The patients were allocated into two groups including a 28F group and a 16F group. There were 75 patients at age of 53.18±14.73 years with insertion of one chest drain of 28F in the 28F group. And there were 88 patients at age of 56.62±12.62 years with insertion of one chest drain of 16F in the 16F group. Heart rate and variation of pulse, breathing rate and variation of breathing rate, pain scores, comfort level, and activities daily living (ADL) of the two groups were compared. ResultsThere was no significant difference in the patient characteristics and operation data between the two groups. There were statistical differences in variation of heart rates on the 1st day, 2nd day, and 3rd day after operation between the 16Fgroup and the 28F group (9.67±3.33 times/min vs.18.54±5.33 times/min, P=0.037; 7.89±2.88 times/min vs. 19.01±4.67 times/min, P=0.045; 7.67±3.01 times/min vs. 20.88±5.34 times/min, P=0.021). The percentage patients of mild pain in the 16F group (77.65%) was higher than that in the 28F group (49.78%, P=0.023) with a statistical difference. The independent ambulation and comfort level in the 16F group(67.05%, 67.05%) were significant higher than those in the 28F group (45.78%,55.11%, P=0.023, P=0.026). ConclusionOur findings suggest that drainage via a small-bore chest tube provides meaningful postoperative comfort level in the patients with VATS lobectomy.
ObjectiveTo analyze clinical experience and outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)for bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement (MVR). MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 32 patients who underwent VATS bioprosthetic MVR in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Guangdong General Hospital from March to December 2013. There were 14 males and 18 females with a mean age of 55.6±17.3 years (range, 19 to 80 years), mean body weight of 55.7±9.7 kg (range, 37 to 78 kg) and mean body surface area of 1.67±0.16 m2 (range, 1.30 to 1.95 m2). Five patients had atrial fibrillation. There were 20 patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA)functional class Ⅱ, 11 patients in class Ⅲ, and 1 patient in class Ⅳ. There were 16 patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease, 11 patients with degenerative mitral valve disease, 4 patients with infective endocarditis and 1 patient with associated congenital heart disease. ResultsVATS bioprosthetic MVR was successfully performed for all the patients, including 27 patients with Medtronic Hancock Ⅱ Bioprosthesis and 5 patients with Medtronic Mosaic Bioprosthesis. Concomitantly, tricuspid valvuloplasty was performed for 13 patients and atrial septal defect repair was performed for 1 patient. There was no in-hospital death, low cardiac output syndrome or left ventricular rupture. Postoperative echocardiography showed good bioprosthetic function in all the patients without paravalvular leakage. Postoperative cardiac function significantly improved compared with preoperative cardiac function. There were 9 patients in NYHA functional class Ⅰ, 17 patients in class Ⅱ, and 6 patients in class Ⅲ. Left atrial diameter and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter examined postoperatively and 3 months after surgery were significantly smaller than preoperative values. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)examined postoperatively and 3 months after surgery was significantly lower than preoperative LVEF. ConclusionsVATS bioprosthetic MVR is a minimally invasive, safe and feasible procedure with a low postoperative morbidity. Incision size can be significantly reduced with a special type of bioprosthesis.
Mini-invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been employed in diagnosis and treatment of esophageal diseases for about 10 years. The potential advantages of VATS over thoracotomy are reduction of chest pain just after the operation and in the long run, lower incidence of postoperative respiratory complications, and reduction of aesthetic sequelae. Thoracoscopic staging of esophageal cancer is to evaluate the invasion and metastasis of cancer, which is helpful for better selection of patients for appropriate treatment .Operation of esophageal cancer with VATS is prescribed mainly in the early stage of carcinoma, but it’s application is restricted due to the multiple sites of operation and complexity of procedures. VATS for benign esophageal diseases such as esophageal leiomyoma and achalasia is becoming the preferable choice of operation in qualified medical centers.
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.
ObjectiveTo explore clinical strategies of early diagnosis and treatment of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN), and define the importance of biological tumor markers, preoperative CT-guided localization with the combination of methylene blue and hookwire system, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)for early diagnosis and treatment of SPN. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed clinical records of 70 SPN patients in Department of Thoracic Surgery of Taixing People's Hospital from January 2011 to February 2014. There were 33 male and 37 female patients with their age of 32-87 (59.74±2.04)years. Preoperatively, patients' medical history, heart, lung, liver and kidney function, sputum cytology and bronchoscopic biopsy results were combined with biological tumor markers to make a preliminary differential diagnosis between benign or malignant SPN and surgical risk evaluation. For SPN less than 1 cm or too small for accurate intraoperative localization, CT-guided localization with the combination of methylene blue and hookwire system was routinely performed half an hour before the operation. For SPN large enough for accurate intraoperative localization, wedge resection of SPN and surrounding lung tissue was directly performed with VATS. Intraoperative frozen-section examination of resected lung specimens was preformed. If the pathological diagnosis was malignant, conventional VATS lobectomy/segmentectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed. If the pathological diagnosis was benign, the operation was then completed. Long-term follow-up was performed for SPN patients, especially patients with early-stage lung cancer. ResultsThere was no in-hospital death or postoperative bronchopleural fistula in this study. Postoperatively, there were 2 patients with pneumonia, 3 patients with pneumothorax and 1 patient with wound infection, who were all cured or improved after proper treatment. Among the 70 patients, 11 patients acquired pathological diagnosis via preoperative lung needle biopsy. Among the other 59 patients, 12 patients with eccentric SPN acquired pathological diagnosis via intraoperative biopsy, and 47 patients underwent SPN resection with VATS. Pathological diagnosis included adenocarcinoma in 19 patients, squamous cell carcinoma in 9 patients, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma in 3 patients, adenosquamous carcinoma in 2 patients, inflammatory pseudotumor in 11 patients, tuberculoma in 4 patients, granuloma in 5 patients, sclerosing hemangioma in 2 patients, lung metastasis from breast cancer in 1 patient, lung metastasis from colon cancer in 1 patient, lung metastasis from thyroid cancer in 1 patient, and lung metastasis from stomach cancer in 1 patient. All the 70 patients (100%)were followed up for a mean duration of 2-34 months, and there was no late death during follow-up. One patient with adenocarcinoma of the right upper lobe had cerebral metastasis 18 months after operation, and had been receiving radiotherapy. All the other patients had a good quality of life. ConclusionAbove clinical strategies are accurate for early diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of SPN with good postoperative recovery and short-term outcomes.
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 investigate the efficacy of total thoracoscopy (VATS) lobectomy and the thoracotomy for the treatment of benign lung disease. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 70 patients with benign lung diseases in the First People's Hospital of Qujing between January 2012 and September 2013. According to the surgical way, the patients were divided into two groups including a total VATS group involved in 35 patients with 25 males and 10 females, aged 18 to 71 years, mean age of 41.3±6.4 years and a thoracotomy group involved in 35 patients with 26 males and 9 females, aged 19 to 72 years, mean age of 42.4±5.6 years. Then we compared the efficacy of the two groups. ResultsThere was no statistical difference (P > 0.05) in operative time and postoperative survival rate comparison. While in the total VATS group, the total thoracoscopic incision length, bleeding volume or pain time, postoperative day time of analgesia, thoracic drainage volume, postoperative drainage tube pulling time and hospitalization time were all lower than those in the thoracotomy group with statistical differeces (P < 0.05). ConclusionThe thoracoscopic lobectomy for treatment of benign pulmonary lesions is superior to the conventional thoracotomy with much less bleeding and pain, more faster postoperative recovery and less impact on the patient's body. It's suitable for clinical application in normal hospital.
Abstract： Objective To explore the feasibility and safety of concealing incision video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS）. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 11 patients who underwent concealing incision VATS in West China Hospital of Sichuan University between September and November 2011. There were 2 male patients and 9 female patients with their mean age of 34.0 years （ranging from 16 to 59 years）. There were 4 patients with myasthenia gravis, 4 patients with thymoma, 2 patients with thymus cyst, and 1 patient with hyperhidrosis. Extended thoracoscopic thymectomy was performed in 10 patients, and endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy was performed in 1 patient. Results All the VATS procedures were performed successfully, and there was no intraoperative and postoperative complication. The operation time ranged from 30 to 105 minutes with an average time of 70.5 minutes. All the intraoperative blood loss was less than 5 ml. The time of postoperative thoracic drainage was less than 48 hours, and the drainage volume ranged from 30 to 80 ml with a mean volume of 55.5 ml. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.5 （2-4）days. The incision was small with a concealed and esthetic appearance. For 10 patients with extended thoracopscopic thymectomy, histopathology test aftre operation showed 4 patients with thymic hyperplasia, 4 with thymoma, and 2 with cystofthymus. Conclusion Concealing incision VATS is a safe and feasible technique, and it can meet the esthetic requirement of patients.