Abstract: Objective To investigate the indications, surgical techniques and postoperative complication management of transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy for patients with esophageal cancer. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of 105 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between July 2002 and July 2010, including 28 patients who received video-assisted mediastinoscopy. There were 59 male patients and 46 female patients with their average age of 63 (48-81) years. There were 51 patients with upper thoracic esophageal cancer, 18 patients with middle thoracic esophageal cancer and 36 patients with lower thoracic esophageal cancer. Surgical outcomes and safety were evaluated. Results Mean operation time was 153 (140-210) minutes, mean intraoperative blood loss was 150 (100 to 250) ml, and mean hospital stay was 15 (10-35) days. There was no in-hospital death or residual tumor cells in esophagus stumps. Twenty-seven patients had postoperative complications, including 3 patients with anastomotic leakage at neck, 4 patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, 5 patients with pleural effusion, 2 patients with pneumothorax, 3 patients with pneumonia, 3 patients with arrhythmia, 1 patient with chylothorax, 2 patients with incision infection, 2 patients with delayed gastric emptying, and 2 patients with anastomotic stenosis, who were all cured after treatment. Ninety-seven patients were followed up from 16 months to 5 years, and 8 patients were lost during follow-up. During follow-up, there were 94 patients who had lived for 1 year, 67 patients who had lived for 3 years, and 34 patients who had lived for 5 years postoperatively, and some patients needed further follow-up. Conclusion Transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy is a minimally traumatic procedure and can provide fast postoperative recovery. It is especially suitable for patients with stageⅡor earlier esophageal cancer who can’t tolerate or aren’t suitable for transthoracic esophagectomy.
Objective To estimate the degree of the angle between left principal bronchus and trachea, and it is correlative with the pulmonary function in the patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease. Methods According to various degree of angles between left principal bronchus and trachea,53 patients were divided into three groups, group 1: angle between left principal bronchus and trachea less than 50 degree, group 2: between 50 and 64 degree, group 3: between 65 and 79 degree. The pulmonary function tests,ultrasonic cardiography and left principal bronchus X-ray tomographic film were carried out in three groups before operation. Compare pulmonary function data with different angle between left principal bronchus and trachea in three groups. Results Exception of vital capacity ,residual volume and total lung capacity,the rest markers of lung function showed significant differences (Plt;0.05) in three groups. The correlation of the angle between left principal bronchus and trachea and the ratio of residual volume and total lung capacity among three groups were positively correlative, and the other parameters of lung function were negatively correlative (Plt;0.01). Conclusion The degree of the angle between left principal bronchus and trachea is positively correlative with the extent of pulmonary function impairing.
Surgical risk prediction is to predict postoperative morbidity and mortality with internationally authoritative mathematical models. For patients undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery, surgical risk prediction is helpful for decision-making on treatment strategies and minimization of postoperative complications, which has gradually arouse interest of cardiac surgeons. There are many risk prediction models for cardiac surgery in the world, including European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE), Ontario Province Risk (OPR)score, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)score, Cleveland Clinic risk score, Quality Measurement and Management Initiative (QMMI), American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA)Guidelines for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, and Sino System for Coronary Operative Risk Evaluation (SinoSCORE). All these models are established from the database of thousands or ten thousands patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a specific region. As different sources of data and calculation imparities exist, there are probably bias and heterogeneities when the models are applied in other regions. How to decrease deviation and improve predicting effects had become the main research target in the future. This review focuses on the progress of risk prediction models for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
Abstract: Objective To investigate the application of a silicone guiding tube for endoscopic linear stapling device in complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy,so as to improve the safety and efficiency of manipulating the endoscopic linear stapling device. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 178 patients with peripheral non-small cell lung caner and 26 patients with benign lung lesions who underwent surgical resection in First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from October 2009 to December 2011. There were 85 males and 119 females with their average age of 62±11 years. A total of 172 patients underwent complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and 32 patients underwent segmentectomy. We designed a silicone guiding tube to facilitate the use of endoscopic linear stapling device. With the help of the tube, a1l pulmonary arteries, veins, bronchus and interlobar fissure involved were managed with endoscopic linear stapling devices. Results Three patients (1.47%)underwent conversion to thoracotomy because of dense lymph node adhesion, and all other complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries were successfully performed. There was no blood vessel injury, severe postoperative complications or perioperative death. The use rate of the tube was 95.6% (303/317), 66.9% (115/172), 22.7% (39/172) and 78.5% (255/325) in pulmonary arteries, veins, bronchus and interlobar fissure stapling for lobectomy respectively, and 94.4% (34/36), 77.3% (17/22), 25.0% (8/32), 33.1% (45/136) in pulmonary arteries, veins, bronchus and interlobar fissure stapling for segmentectomy respectively. For lobectomy, a total of 986 staples were used with an average of 5.7 staples for each patient, the average operative time was 192.5±54.0 min and average intraoperative blood loss was 118.1±104.1 ml. For segmentectomy, a total of 226 staples were used with an average of 7.1 staples for each patient, the average operative time was 193.7±37.4 min and average intraoperative blood loss was 60.9±78.0 ml. Conclusion Using a silicone guiding tube can facilitate the application of endoscopic linear stapling device, shorten the learning curve of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy, and improve the safety, convenience and economical efficiency of endoscopic linear stapling device.