Reconstruction of upper mediastinal pleura reduces postoperative complications in enhanced recovery surgery system after esophagectomy: A propensity score matching study

Impact of pleural reconstruction on postoperative outcomes in rib tumor resection: a decade-long retrospective study

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the effects of pleural reconstruction during rib compartment tumor resection surgery on postoperative outcomes, including drainage volume, drainage duration, hospital stay, complications, and pain control.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 142 patients who underwent rib compartment tumor resection surgery at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2013 to October 2023. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received pleural reconstruction and those who did not. Data were collected from hospital medical records and outpatient care records, focusing on postoperative drainage volume, total drainage time, length of hospital stay, complications, and pain scores. Continuous variables were compared using t-tests or nonparametric tests, while categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square tests or Fisher's exact tests.

Results

The analysis showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of postoperative complications and pain thresholds. However, patients who underwent pleural reconstruction had significantly lower postoperative drainage volume (937.74 ± 855.97 vs. 1,595.26 ± 1,054.50 ml, p < 0.05), shorter drainage duration (5.5 ± 2.39 vs. 8.43 ± 2.87 days, p < 0.05), and reduced length of hospital stay (7.32 ± 3.30 vs. 10.99 ± 6.83 days, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Pleural reconstruction during rib compartment tumor resection surgery reduces postoperative drainage volume, drainage duration, and hospital stay without increasing complications or short-term pain. Further large-scale studies are recommended to validate these findings.

[Surgical and interdisciplinary treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors]

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most frequent potentially malignant mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. The treatment of GISTs has been revolutionized since imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors were introduced for the treatment of GISTs, which inhibit the tyrosine kinases c‑KIT and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) alpha. Even after the introduction of this targeted treatment GISTs can only be cured by surgical resection. With interdisciplinary multimodal treatment the prognosis of metastasized GIST can now be further improved by surgical resection of the primary tumor and the metastases, potentially leading to a cure. Neoadjuvant therapy can reduce the extent of surgical resection and hereby enable organ preservation and reduce surgical morbidity. To evaluate molecular and clinical predictors and to offer an optimal therapeutic plan, patients with GISTs and certainly patients with advanced GISTs should be evaluated by interdisciplinary sarcoma boards.