Total thoracoscopic high-position sleeve lobectomy of the right upper lobe of the lung

Design and application of small-diameter closed thoracic drainage tube fixation following lung wedge resection: A randomised prospective study

BACKGROUND

The use of indwelling closed thoracic drainage tubes in the wedge resection of the lungs is of great significance to postoperative recovery. However, there are potential risks.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the design feasibility and application effect of triple-buffer-system-fixed small-diameter (18 F) thoracic closed drainage tubes following lung wedge resection.

METHODS

A total of 136 patients with indwelling thoracic drainage tubes following pulmonary wedge resection were recruited, with 70 patients allocated to the control group and 66 to the experimental group. The drainage tube in the experimental group was fixed with the triple-buffer system, while that in the control group was fixed using the conventional lifting platform method. The incidence of unplanned extubation, the indwelling time of the drainage tube and the time and material costs, as well as information regarding any subcutaneous emphysema and skin tension blisters, were recorded following the operation. The pain and degree of comfort were assessed using a chi-square test and a rank sum t-test to compare the differences between the two groups.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in terms of age, gender and sweating between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the unplanned extubation rate of the experimental group was lower (χ2= 8.513; P= 0.004), the indwelling time of the drainage tube was shorter (t= 2.108; P= 0.037), the cumulative material cost was lower (t= 3.778; P< 0.001), the time cost was also lower (Z= 2.717; P= 0.008), the degree of comfort was higher (Z= 2.752; P= 0.006), and the degree of pain was lower (Z= 4.019; P< 0.001). The incidence of subcutaneous emphysema was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (χ2= 8.513; P= 0.004).

CONCLUSION

The use of the triple-buffer system to fix small-diameter (18 F) thoracic closed drainage tubes can reduce the unplanned extubation rate, indwelling time of the drainage tube and the incidence of adverse reactions.

Inferior Pulmonary Ligament Division May Be Unnecessary during Left Upper Lobectomy: Effects on Lung Volume, Bronchial Angle and Bronchial Tortuosity

The benefits of dissecting inferior pulmonary ligament (IPL) during upper lobectomy using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for early-stage lung cancer remains controversial. This study evaluates the effect of IPL dissection by comparing the lung volume, bronchial angle, and bronchial tortuosity of the left lower lobe (LLL) during VATS upper lobectomy. Medical records of all patients who underwent VATS left upper lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer were evaluated. Patients were divided into group P (preservation) and group D (dissection). Pre- and post-surgery lung volumes, bronchial angles (angle 1: axial angulation; angle 2: vertical angulation), and bronchial tortuosity (curvature index of the left main bronchus) were measured using computed tomography images for comparison. Forty patients were included in each group. Patient characteristics such as age, gender, body mass index, and smoking status, and preoperative lung volume, bronchial angles, and tortuosity were not significantly different between the two groups, and there was no statistically significant difference in the axial and vertical angulations; however, the change in pre- and postoperative bronchial tortuosity (0.03 ± 0.03 vs. 0.06 ± 0.03) and lung volume (-558.1 ± 410.0 mL vs. -736.3 ± 382.7 mL) showed a significant difference (p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively). Preservation of IPLs during left upper lobectomy may be beneficial for LLL expansion and induces less movement and positional change in the left main bronchus.