Objective To investigate the effect of modular disscection of mediastinal lymphadenectomy in uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (uniportal-VATS) for lung cancer radical resection and assess its safety and feasibility. Methods Data of 311 patients (171 males and 140 females, a mean age of 59.4±5.1 years) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received modular dissection of mediastinal lymphadenectomy in uniportal-VATS or three portal VATS (3P-VATS group) during March to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 208 patients (110 males and 98 females, a mean age of 59.2±5.3 years) in the uniportal-VATS group and 103 patients (61 males and 42 femals, a mean age of 59.7±5.1 years) in the 3P-VATS group. The effects of lymph nodes (LNs) dissection and postoperative clinical data were compared between the two groups, especially for N2 LNs dissection. Results There were no perioperative death in two groups. The overall number of dissected stations and LNs in the uniportal-VATS group (7.3±1.0, 17.5±3.0) were similar with those in the 3P-VATS group (7.2±1.0, 17.7±2.7, P=0.208, P=0.596). The dissected stations (uniportal-VATS: 4.3±0.7, 3P-VATS: 4.3±0.6) and number (uniportal-VATS: 8.6±1.1, 3P-VATS: 8.5±1.1) of N2 LNs were both similar between the two groups (P=0.850, P=0.587). The chest tube duration and postoperative hospital stay of uniportal-VATS group (4.4±1.3 d and 9.2±0.9 d) were much shorter than those of 3P-VATS group (5.0±1.3 d and 9.8±2.0 d, both P<0.001). No significant difference was found in morbidity rate between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Modular dissection of mediastinal lymphadenectomy could meet the requirment of radical resection and it is a safe and valid method which could be used during uniportal-VATS for radical resection of lung cancer.
Objective To investigate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of minimally invasive sternal depression by autologous force for the correction of pectus carinatum. Methods Between October 2011 and September 2015, 22 pectus carinatum patients underwent minimally invasive surgical correction of pectus carinatum in Tongji Hospital. Clinical data of 22 patients were retrospectively analyzed. There were 19 males and 3 females with a mean age of 12.00±2.87 years, ranging from 6 to 15 years. Among them, 17 patients were symmetric malformation, and the others were asymmetric. Preoperative chest CT scan was performed on 14 patients. Haller index was 1.65-2.23 (1.97±0.15). All the patients underwent the minimally invasive surgical correction of pectus carinatum with a NUSS bar via sternal depression by autologous force. Results All the operations were completed successfully. The mean operation time was 55-120 (83.73±16.62) min and blood loss volume was 10-50 (28.18±11.63) ml. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3-6 (4.23±1.17) d. Postoperative complications included wound infection in 2 patients, minor pneumothorax in 3 patients, who were cured by conservative treatment. One patient suffering postoperative hydropneumothorax received drainage. All the patients were followed up for 6-48 months after discharge and very satisfied with the chest appearance following surgery. No patient complained of persistent pain. There was no displacement of the bar or the stabilizers. Nine patients underwent the removal of the NUSS bar without pectus carinatum recurrence. Conclusion Minimally invasive sternal depression by autologous force simplifies the procedure of correction of pectus carinatum with reliable and satisfactory outcomes.
ObjectiveTo summarize our experience of surgical resection of multiple ground-glass opacity (GGO) in recent years.MethodsClinical data of patients who underwent one-stage resections of multiple GGO from November 2015 to May 2019 in our hospital were collected, including 13 males and 52 females at an average age of 56.0±9.4 years. The clinical effects and pathological types of GGO were evaluated.ResultsTime interval from first discovery to surgery was 8-1 447 (236.5±362.4) days. There were 48 patients with unilateral surgery and 17 patients with bilateral surgery during the same period. Except for 2 patients who underwent open thoracotomy due to total thoracic adhesions, other patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 12.2±4.3 days. No severe perioperative complication or death occurred. A total of 156 GGO lesions were resected, 80 lesions were pure GGO, including 58 (72.5%) malignant lesions and 22 (27.5%) benign lesions, with an average diameter of 7.7±3.3 mm and 5.5±2.6 mm, respectively. Another 76 lesions were mixed GGO, including 69 (90.8%) malignant lesions and 7 (9.2%) benign lesions, with an average diameter of 13.6±6.6 mm and 7.7±3.5 mm, respectively.ConclusionPatients with multiple GGO should be treated with anti-inflammatory therapy firstly. When conservative treatment is ineffective and no benign outcomes are observed, surgical treatment should be considered. And when lung function is sufficient for patients to underwent surgeries, the simultaneous unilateral or bilateral thoracoscopic resection is suggested, and the sublobar resection or lobectomy methods can be adopted flexibly according to the clinical features of the lesion and the rapid pathological results, which will not increase the risk of postoperative complications. Otherwise, surgical resection should be given priority for pure GGO lesions with a diameter > 7.7 mm and mixed GGO lesions.
ObjectiveTo investigate CT image features of ground glass opacity (GGO)-like 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia (COVID-19) and early-stage lung carcinoma for control and therapy of this acute severe respiratory disease.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 71 GGO-like COVID-19 patients who received therapy in Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology between January 17th and February 13th, 2020. These 71 GGO-like COVID-19 patients were as a COVID-19 group. And 80 GGO-like early-stage lung carcinoma patients who underwent resection were as a lung carcinoma group. Clinical features such as sex, age, symptoms including fever, cough, fatigue, myalgia and dyspnea, detailed exposure history, confirmatory test (SARS-CoV-2 quantitative RT-PCR) and pathologic diagnosis were analyzed.ResultsSignificantly different symptoms and exposure history between the two groups were detected (P<0.001). More lesions (61 patients at percentage of 85.92%, P<0.001), relative peripheral locations (69 patients at percentage of 97.18%, P<0.001) and larger opacities (65 patients at percentage of 91.55%, P<0.001) were found in chest radiographs of GGO-like COVID-19 compared with GGO-like early-stage lung carcinoma. Similar features appeared in early-stage of COVID-19 and lung carcinoma, while pneumonia developed into more extensive and basal predominant lung consolidation. Coexistence of GGO-like COVID-19 and early-stage lung carcinoma might occur.ConclusionConsidering these similar and unique features of GGO-like COVID-19 and early-stage lung carcinoma, it is necessary to understand short time re-examination of chest radiographs and other diagnostic methods of these two diseases. We believe that the findings reported here are important for diagnosis and control of COVID-19 in China.
ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy of lymphadenectomy in different regions for esophageal squamous cell carcinomas located differently according to the lymph node grouping by Chinese expert consensus. MethodsThe medical records of 1 061 patients (886 males and 175 females with a median age of 60 (54, 65) years with esophageal cancer from March 2011 to December 2017 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the pathological report, the lymph nodes were regrouped according to the Chinese lymph nodes grouping standard of esophageal cancer. The metastasis rate of each group of lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate of metastatic patients and efficacy index (EI) were calculated. ResultsThe upper thoracic esophageal cancer mainly metastasized to the lymph nodes of C201-203 groups. The middle and lower thoracic tumors mainly metastasized to the lymph nodes of C205-207 groups. The lower thoracic tumor had a higher rate of metastasis to the abdominal lymph nodes. According to the metastasis rate, the mediastinal lymph nodes were divided into three regions: an upper mediastinum (C201-204), a middle mediastinum (C205-206), and a lower mediastinum (C207-209). The EIs of lymph nodes of C201-203 and C205-207 groups were higher. For patients with C201-207 groups metastasis, the 5-year survival rates ranged from 13.39% to 21.60%. For patients with positive lymph nodes in each region, tumors at different primary locations had no statistical difference in long-term survival (P>0.05). Patients with lymph nodes of C205 group in the upper thoracic tumors had lower EI and those in the middle and lower thoracic tumors had higher EIs. ConclusionThe effect of lymph node dissection in each area varies with the location of the tumor. No matter where the tumor is, it is necessary to dissect the upper mediastinal lymph nodes, especially the lymph nodes adjacent to the left and right recurrent laryngeal nerves. Group C205 should be classified into the lower mediastinal lymph nodes.
ObjectiveBy summarizing the clinical characteristics of perioperative patients with cross infection of novel coronavirus in thoracic surgery ward, to guide the prevention and treatment of nosocomial infection during the anti-epidemic period.MethodsThe clinical data of 451 patients with chest diseases in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 1st to 24th, 2020 were analyzed and followed up. There were 245 surgical patients and 206 non-surgical patients.ResultsIn the department, 7 patients (7/451, 1.55%) were infected with the novel coronavirus and all of them were surgical patients, whose preoperative imaging data did not reveal the imaging changes of novel coronavirus. There were 5 males and 2 females, aged 56 to 68 years. The patients with old age, smoking, surgery, coronary heart disease, chronic liver disease and tumor history were more susceptible to infection. From the spatial distribution of patient beds, it was found that the distance among infected patients was greater than 1 m, and no cross infection was found in the other patients of the same ward. During follow-up, two family members of noninfected patients were found to be infected one week after discharge. However, there was no overlap of spatiotemporal distribution between the family members and the infected patients during the hospitalization period.ConclusionThe novel coronavirus pneumonia rate in the department of thoracic surgery is low, which may be opportunistic infection. At the same time, a good control and prevention of epidemic disease can reduce the occurrence of cross infection in the department of thoracic surgery.