Clinical usefulness of free subcutaneous fat pad for reduction of intraoperative air leakage during thoracoscopic pulmonary resection in lung cancer cases

Surgery for pulmonary lesions in patients with a history of urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

There has been little information on the actual diagnosis of pulmonary lesions in patients with a history of urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and short- and long- outcomes of pulmonary resection for these patients.

METHODS

In the present study, the data of 37 consecutive patients with a history of TCC who underwent pulmonary resection for solitary pulmonary lesions were reviewed, and the clinical factors and short- and long-term outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The study population included 35 male patients, and 2 female patients. The mean age was 72.5 years. Twenty patients (80%) were smokers and showed a high incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary lesions and primary TCC were detected simultaneously in 5 patients and metachronously in 32 patients. The median interval between treatment for primary TCC and the detection of pulmonary lesion was 43 months. The mean tumor diameter was 23 mm. The types of resection included lobectomy (n = 19), segmentectomy (n = 8), and partial resection (n = 10). Twelve of 37 patients (32%) developed postoperative complications. The pathological diagnoses included primary lung cancer (n = 28), pulmonary metastasis from TCC (n = 7), and others (n = 2). The 5-year overall survival rate for all patients was 72%. The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with primary lung cancer was 74%, while that of patients with pulmonary metastasis from TCC was 57%.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery can be proactively considered for treating pulmonary lesions in patients with a previous history of TCC, as it provides favorable long-term outcomes.

Combination of Pulmonary Tractotomy and Free Subcutaneous Fat Pad Coverage for Iatrogenic Lung Injury Caused by Chest Tube Insertion

Iatrogenic lung injury caused by chest tube insertion is a potential complication that requires careful attention, and thoracic surgeons should be knowledgeable about the appropriate management strategies if complications arise. This report describes a successful procedure for treating an iatrogenic lung injury. An 80-year-old Japanese man with severe emphysema complaining of breathlessness was diagnosed with a right secondary pneumothorax. Computed tomography revealed moderate adhesions in the thoracic cavity. Chest tube drainage was performed. Lung expansion was insufficient and massive air leakage continued. Repeat computed tomography showed the chest tube inserted into the right upper lobe. Thus, pulmonary tractotomy followed by free fat pad coverage was performed to successfully treat the iatrogenic lung injury caused by chest tube insertion. Since no air leakage was observed postoperatively, the chest tube was removed on the third postoperative day. The patient was discharged after two weeks of rehabilitation. Pulmonary tractotomy combined with free subcutaneous fat pad coverage would be effective for repairing iatrogenic lung injuries in patients with severe emphysema.

Intraoperative control of air leak using a sutureless free pericardial fat pad covering method in lung cancer resection

Here, we introduce a new method for intraoperative control of air leak using a free pericardial fat pad covering to lung damage with sutureless fixation. We covered the damaged lung tissue with a free pericardial fat pad with a polyglycol acid sheet and fibrin glue fixation. This method provides a good air leak controlling effect with the use of a free pericardial fat pad and relatively short operative time with sutureless fixation.

Usefulness of free pericardial fat pads as pledgets for air leaks in pulmonary resection

PURPOSE

Intraoperative control of air leaks is important for preventing prolonged air leaks after surgery. The usefulness of suturing free pericardial fat pads (FPFPs) as pledgets for repairing air leaks was investigated.

METHODS

A total of 111 patients who underwent anatomical lung resection and required suture repair for intraoperative air leaks were retrospectively reviewed. Mattress sutures were performed using polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets (PGA group; n = 60) in the early period (April 2014 to March 2018) and FPFPs (FPFP group; n = 51) in the late period (April 2018 to March 2021) as pledgets.

RESULTS

More patients had a history of smoking in the FPFP group than in the PGA group. The duration of air leakage was significantly shorter (mean 1.2 vs. 3.5 days, p = 0.002) and prolonged air leakage (> 5 days) was less frequently observed (23.3% vs. 5.9%, p = 0.016) in the FPFP group than in the PGA group. The FPFP group had fewer cases requiring pleurodesis and with recurrent air leaks than in the PGA group. In one case in the FPFP group, fat necrosis with fibrosis and fibrous adhesion to the visceral pleura was found on a pathological examination.

CONCLUSION

Parenchymal repair using FPFPs as pledgets can reduce prolonged air leaks after surgery.

Double stapling method for closure of intraoperative alveolar air leakage adjacent to the staple line: a randomized experimental study on ex vivo porcine lungs

Background

Alveolar air leakage from a pleural defect around the staple line is one of the complications after wedge resection of the lung. An intraoperative closure of the pleural defect by suturing can cause additional pleural rupture due to tension of the pleura adjacent to staple lines. Therefore, we have introduced a novel closure method for pleural defect adjacent to the staple line, named the double stapling method. This study compared the efficacy of two closure methods; the double stapling method and conventional suturing method with pledgets using ex vivo porcine lungs.

Methods

The double stapling method involves closing the pleural defect by suturing the two parallel staple lines at both sides of the pleural defect. This method was developed to distribute the pleural tension around the needle holes of suturing. As a model of pleural defect adjacent to the staple line after wedge resection, wedge resection of the caudal lobe of left porcine lungs was performed, and a superficial square pleural defect (10 mm × 10 mm) adjacent to the staple line was made by scalpel. The defect was closed using the following two methods: (I) suturing with pledgets (n=10); and (II) double stapling method (n=10). The lobe was inflated in water at an airway pressure of 20, 25, and 30 cmH₂O; closure success or failure was judged by the absence or presence of air leakage.

Results

The closure success was confirmed in 2 (20%) out of 10 cases in the suturing with pledgets group and 9 (90%) out of 10 in the double stapling method group (P=0.007). In 4 out of 10 cases in the suturing with pledgets group, new pleural clefts longer than 3 mm were created around the needle holes of suturing.

Conclusions

Ex vivo experiments have suggested the superiority of the double stapling method for the intraoperative closure of alveolar air leakage adjacent to the staple line after wedge resection, compared to conventional suturing with the pledget method.

Troubleshooting in thoracoscopic anatomical lung resection for lung cancer

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) anatomical lung resection (ALR) has been gaining popularity in the treatment of lung cancer in line with remarkable advances in both equipment and technique. The development and refinement of its technique have allowed thoracic surgeons to perform a wide variety of challenging and complex procedures in a minimally invasive fashion. Careful and meticulous preparation may shift in the future with the increasing sophistication and capabilities of VATS ALR. Moreover, constant awareness and a structured plan of the procedure are imperative to reducing or preventing complications. Intraoperative major complications during VATS ALR are infrequent, but can have catastrophic consequences. The decision to continue with VATS should take into consideration the surgeon's skill level and ease with the approach and the relative potential benefit against the risk to the patient. We conducted this study to investigate the possible problems during VATS ALR and identify how to solve them based on the previous literature and our institutional data sampling.

Long-Term Outcomes of Pulmonary Resection for Lung Cancer Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND

The survival outcome in lung cancer patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been well evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival outcomes following non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) surgery in patients with CKD as a preoperative comorbidity.

METHODS

Among 671 patients who underwent surgery for NSCLC between 2007 and 2014 at our hospital, 55 (8%) had CKD and we retrospectively analyzed the survival outcomes of these patients.

RESULTS

Most patients with CKD were elderly and male. Patients with CKD had a higher frequency of smoking habit, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary diseases, and a notably lower pulmonary function, resulting in receiving limited pulmonary resection. There were no marked differences in the frequency of surgical complications between patients with and without CKD (p = 0.16). Squamous cell carcinoma was more frequently diagnosed in patients with CKD than in those without it. The 5-year disease-free survival rates in patients with and without CKD were 60.0% and 69.7% (p = 0.06), respectively, and the 5-year overall survival rates were 68.9% and 80.0%, respectively, showing significant differences (p = 0.01). The rate of receiving supportive care was higher in patients with CKD when recurrence observed.

CONCLUSION

CKD is associated with a poorer overall survival in patients who undergo lung cancer resection for recurrent disease. As patients with CKD tend to have a poor respiratory function, thoracic surgeons should carefully select the resection type to balance the therapeutic benefit and invasiveness.

Impact of enhanced recovery after surgery on outcomes of elderly patients undergoing open thoracic surgery

OBJECTIVE

An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program might be effective for postoperative recovery in elderly patients undergoing thoracic surgery. This study aimed to clarify the impact of ERAS on the post-operative recovery of elderly patients, with regard to shortening hospital stay and reducing complications after open thoracic surgery.

METHODS

We used a prospectively collected database and retrospectively accessed the data of patients who underwent lobectomies or segmentectomies for pulmonary malignancies from April 2013 to March 2018 and evaluated outcomes after implementation of ERAS. ERAS patients were those who completed an ERAS program. The control patients were those who underwent surgery before June 2015 and later operated patients who did not receive ERAS. Propensity score matching was performed to balance the characteristics of patients in both groups. Patients were also divided into the following three groups for evaluating the efficacy of ERAS: patients aged < 65 years, 65-74 years of age, and ≥ 75 years of age.

RESULTS

Before propensity score matching, the ERAS patients had shorter postoperative stay, shorter duration of chest tube drainage, and lower rate of postoperative complications than the patients without ERAS. The difference between readmission rates was not significant. After matching, the ERAS patients had shorter postoperative stay. The difference between readmission rates was not significant. After matching, the postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the patients aged ≥ 65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

ERAS shortened the length of postoperative hospital stay in patients aged ≥ 65 years and did not increase readmission rates.

Air leak pattern shown by digital chest drainage system predict prolonged air leakage after pulmonary resection for patients with lung cancer

Background

A common cause of complications after a pulmonary resection procedure is prolonged air leakage. Recently introduced digital drainage systems provide accurate recording of air leak data for later review. We investigated the clinical usefulness of the continuous stream of data recorded by such a device.

Methods

We analyzed data obtained from 299 patients with pulmonary malignancy who underwent a pulmonary resection procedure for lung cancer patients with use of a digital chest drainage system. Postoperative air leak patterns were divided into 4 groups and their correlation with prolonged air leakage after pulmonary resection was evaluated.

Results

The incidence of prolonged air leak was 10% (30/299). The postoperative air leak patterns noted in the present patients were divided into none (n=217, 73%), intermittent (n=21, 7%), decrease (n=40, 13%), and variable (n=21, 7%). The incidence of prolonged air leak in each group was 0.5% (1/217) in the none group, 24% (5/21) in the intermittent group, 20% (8/40) in the decrease group, and 76% (16/21) in the variable group. The amount of air leakage immediately after surgery was highest in the variable group. Patients in the intermittent and variable groups had longer durations of air leakage and chest tube placement. The frequency of postoperative interventional treatment was significantly higher in the variable group as compared to the others. Chest tube reinsertion for pneumothorax and increased subcutaneous emphysema after the initial chest tube removal was only seen in the intermittent group.

Conclusions

Advantages of digital drainage system use are continuous monitoring and recording capabilities, which show the detailed air leak pattern after pulmonary resection. That pattern can be used to predict the durations of air leakage and chest tube drainage, as well as for producing an air leak management algorithm.

The changes underwent by free fat pads used for pulmonary air leakage repair

The use of free fat pads is effective for repairing pulmonary air leakage clinically. It has been reported that the free pericardial fat pad (FPFP) used to repair the lung remained at the transplanted site in many cases according to images. However, no information is available regarding what type of actual changes these free fat pads with no blood supply undergo. We examined changes in an FPFP that was used to repair pulmonary air leakage in a patient who underwent a surgery for lung cancer 1 year ago. Although the FPFP transplanted to the pleural defect remained without deforming morphologically in this patient 1 year after the first surgery, pathological findings suggested fat necrosis surrounded by fibrous tissue. Our findings suggest that while free fat pads used for pulmonary air leakage repair presumably are not engrafted, they should remain on the lung surface in a thoracolithiasis-like condition.

Low-voltage coagulation, polyglycolic acid sheets, and fibrin glue to control air leaks in lung surgery

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the efficacy of low-voltage coagulation (LVC) with polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets (Neoveil, GUNZE Ltd., Japan) and fibrin glue to control intraoperative alveolar air leaks after lung surgery.

METHODS

We included 176 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomies. When alveolar air leak was confirmed after lung resection, we applied LVC system to the pleural defect followed by layers of PGA sheets and fibrin glue (n = 40). We then analyzed postoperative air leaks (rate of occurrence and duration time).

RESULTS

73% of patients (29/40 cases) experienced no postoperative air leaks. Although 11 patients experienced air leaks after surgery, there were no prolonged air leaks (>7 days) (resolution time, 3.5 ± 1.4 days; range, 2-6 days). Two patients required drainage for late-onset air leaks, but their conditions improved without further treatment. There were no further adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of LVC with PGA sheets and fibrin glue following pulmonary resection efficiently prevented both intraoperative air leaks and prolonged air leaks after lung surgery.

[Absence of postoperative pulmonary impermeability in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax]

AIM

to improve treatment of patients with spontaneous pneumothorax who had not postoperative pulmonary impermeability.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

87 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax underwent videothoracoscopy (VTS), lung resection supplemented by pleurodesis (parietal pleurectomy or pleural abrasion). Absence of pulmonary impermeability was observed in 5 (5.7%) patients.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Re-operation was performed in 2 patients (Vanderschuren 2 and 3) namely re-thoracoscopy and thoracotomy with additional ligation of air origins. Drainage tubes were removed in 4 and 17 days postoperatively in patient without/with emphysema respectively. In patient (Vanderschuren 1) who underwent thoracoscopic resection and parietal pleural abrasion valve bronchoblocation was performed in 9 days after VTS due to persistent pneumothorax. Pleural drainage tube was removed in 13 days (emphysema) after bronchial valve deployment. 2 patients (Vanderschuren 4) had heterogeneous pulmonary emphysema. One of them underwent video-assisted mini-thoracotomy, lung resection with reinforcement of seams with synthetic material. In other observation conversion to thoracotomy followed by atypical resection of bullous emphysema and manual suturing of lung was applied. In both cases bronchoblocation was performed intraoperatively with good results. Drainage tubes were removed in 13 and 17 days respectively. There were no complications.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative endoscopic bronchoblocation is advisable if air leakage is considerable in operating theater and complicates lung smoothing. Such approach reduces hospital-stay and improves outcomes.

The experimental validation of free fat grafts in thoracic surgery

We evaluated the viability of free fat grafts in the thoracic cavity using 3-month old male swine (n = 2). After left caudal lobectomy, 1-3 g of subcutaneous fat tissue harvested via the thoracotomy site was implanted in the chest cavity. At re-thoracotomy 6 weeks after implantation, all of the implanted fat grafts (n = 15) were found to have closely adhered to the parietal pleura and visceral pleura. There was a significant decrease by ∼30% in the weight of the fat grafts after implantation. Regardless of the weight loss, the implanted fat graft showed normal structuring without scar formation in the central area. Our results may suggest that free fat pads, which weighed up to 3 g, were successfully cultured in the thoracic cavity until the implanted tissues integrated into the surrounding tissues. Therefore, the free fat pad can be used as a biomaterial for some purposes in thoracic surgery.