Abstract： Objective To compare the influence of different doses of low molecular weight heparin on blood coagulation system of patients who have received thoracic surgery. Methods Eightytwo patients (with lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymoma, pleural endotheliomas or other diseases) who were treated in Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2009 to March 2010 were divided into three groups, based on the time of hospitalization. In the control group, there were 24 patients including 10 females and 14 males with an average age of 43.5±21.3 years. No low molecular weight heparin was given after operation. There were 32 patients in group I, including 14 females and 18 males, with an average age of 45.2±18.6 years. An amount of 0.2 ml (2 125 U) low molecular weight heparin was subcutaneously injected daily during the first 7 days after operation. In group Ⅱ, there were 26 patients including 11 females and 15 males with an average age of 43.8±20.1 years. An amount of 0.4 ml (4 250 U)low molecular weight heparin was subcutaneously injected daily during the first 7 days after operation. The differences of preoperative and postoperative coagulation factors including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib), D dimer (D-D), platelet count (PLT) and anti-Ⅹa activity were observed. Results The preoperative average values of PT, APTT, Fib, D-D, PLT of all the three groups were in the normal range and showed no significant difference (Pgt;0.05). For all three groups, after operation, PT prolonged, APTT shortened, the amount of Fib, D-D increased, PLT reduced on the 3rd day and then increased on the 7th day and anti-Ⅹa activity increased, all of which showed a significant difference from preoperative values (Plt;0.05). The amount of Fib in group Ⅱ was significantly lower than that in group Ⅰ after operation (the 5th day after operation: 4.7±2.5 g/L vs. 7.0±3.3 g/L, Plt;0.05); the amount of D-D in group Ⅱ was significantly lower than that in the control group (the 5th day after operation: 891.3±891.3 μg/L vs. 1 583.2±984.7 μg/L, Plt;0.05) and group Ⅰ (the 5th day after operation: 891.3±891.3 μg/L vs. 1 452.6±1 052.9 μg/L,Plt;0.05); and the anti-Ⅹa activity of group Ⅱ was significantly higher than that in group Ⅰ (the 5th day after operation: 0.54±0.05 U/ml vs. 0.29±0.04 U/ml, Plt;0.05). Conclusion In a certain weight range, fixeddose (4 250 U) of low molecular weight heparin is able to improve postoperative hypercoagulable state and avoid the occurrence of venous thromboembolism without increasing risk of complications like bleeding.
Abstract： Appropriate prophylactic administration of antibiotics for thoracic and cardiovascular surgical procedure can reduce postoperative morbidity and decrease the overall cost due to infections. Prophylactic antibiotics should be given within 30 minutes preceding incision intravascularly. Serum levels of free drug above the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for common contaminating bacteria should be maintained for the entire surgical period. Prophylactic antibiotics after operation are useless for patients without risk factors predisposing to postoperative infection. Heart and(or) lung transplant patients should be given antiviral and antifungal prophylaxis. Selection of antibiotics must be based on the pharmacokinetic, pharcodynamic and pharmacoeconomic properties of antibiotics and features of surgery. The policy of antibiotic prophylaxis must be modified in response to alterations in antibiotic resistance pattern which is constantly changing in hospital.
ObjectiveTo investigate the reliability and validity of Short-Form 36 Health Survey Scale (SF-36) for evaluating quality of life (QOL) of thoracic surgery patients in a specific regional medical center,and improve care and nursing plan for these patients. MethodsNinety-five patients who were admitted in Department of Thoracic Surgery of West China Hospital from March to May 2012 were enrolled in this study. Ninety-four patients finished a valid questionnaire study including 68 male and 26 female patients with their average age of 62.0±13.0 years. Preoperative diagnosis was squamous cell lung cancer in 8 patients,lung adenocarcinoma in 6 patients,small cell lung cancer in 1 patient,esophageal cancer in 12 patients and undefined lung mass in 67 patients. Postoperative diagnosis was squamous cell lung cancer in 39 patients, lung adenocarcinoma in 28 patients,small cell lung cancer in 8 patients,esophageal cancer in 12 patients,pulmonary tuberculosis in 3 patients and inflammatory pseudo-tumor in 4 patients. Chinese edition of SF-36 was used to evaluate patients' QOL. Cronbach's coefficients (α) and split-half reliability were used to assess its reliability. Its validity was assessed through factor analysis. ResultsCronbach's coefficients (α) of SF-36 were as followed:Physical Functioning (PF) 0.721,Role-Physical (RP) 0.859,General Health (GH) 0.721,Vitality (VT) 0.899,Social Functioning (SF) 0.852,Role-Emotional (RE) 0.872,and Mental Health (MH) 0.598. Split-half reliability of each part was PF 0.725,RP 0.784,GH 0.758,VT 0.749,SF 0.745,RE 0.740,and MH 0.426. Nine principal components were extracted by factor analysis and generally reflected the 8 dimensions of SF-36,which was correspondent to the SF-36 structure. ConclusionSF-36 scale can be used to measure QOL of thoracic surgery patients with good reliability and validity.
ObjectiveTo estimate postoperative pain and use of analgesic of patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) or robotic assisted thoracoscopic surgery(RATS). MethodsFrom October 2014 through August 2015, 339 patients were treated by surgery in Shanghai Chest Hospital. Among them, 116 patients with intrathoracic lesions who underwent RATS with the da Vinci? Surgical System were as a RATS group with 51 males and 65 females at age of 52.59±11.49 years. Another 223 patients by VATS were as a VATS group with 93 males and 130 females at age of 58.00±10.56 years. We recorded the data of the VAS score and use analgesic of the patients after surgery. ResultsThere was a significant difference in VAS score between the RATS group and the VATS group(3.01±0.18 vs. 5.19±0.14, P<0.05). Astatistical difference of analgesic use between RATS and VATS was also found(1.09±0.12 vs. 1.77±0.10, P<0.05). ConclusionCompared with VATS, the postoperative pain of the patients who underwent RATS is lighter. And the use of analgesic is less.
Objective To explore the emergence agitation resulting from postoperative indwelling urethral catheters in patients of thoracic surgery. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we recruited 140 patients who were scheduled for thoracic surgery under general anesthesia in West China Hospital from January through April 2014. These patients were divided into two groups including a control group and a trial group with 70 patients in each group. The patients in the control group had indwelled urethral catheter routinely. The catheter removed after the surgery at operation room in the trial group. Intraoperative urinary volume, emergence agitation (EA) occurrence, postoperative urinary retention, and urethral irritation were recorded. Results There was no statistical difference in postoperative urinary retention rate between the control group and the trial group (1.43% vs. 2.86%, P=0.230). However, the urethral irritation rate in the control group was significantly higher than that in the trial group (12.86% vs. 0.00%, P=0.012) . And there was a statistical difference in adverse event rate (2.86% vs. 0.00%, P=0.039) between the two groups. There was a significantly higher incidence of urethral irritation in male patients (20.51%, 8/39) than female patients (3.23%, 1/31, P=0.033).The rate of EA in the control group was significantly higher than that in the trial group (28.57% vs. 12.86%, P=0.010). There was a significantly higher EA rate in the patients who had urethral irritation by postoperative indwelling catheters compared with those without indwelling catheters (45.00% vs. 12.86%, P=0.043). Conclusion This study suggests that postoperative EA is a result from urethral irritation than local pain, and the EA rate can be decreased by removal of catheter before anaesthetic recovery.
Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) after thoracotomy. Methods We analyzed the clinical data of 10 patients with PTE after thoracotomy treated from January 2011 to March 2015. Among them were 8 males and 2 females, with their age ranging from 51 to 73 years old, averaging 61. Six patients had lung cancer lobectomy, and 4 had esophagus carcinoma resection. All the 10 patients suffered sudden shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitation within the first 40 hours to 128 hours after surgery, and the physical examinations revealed tachypnea, drop of blood pressure and tachycardia. The PTE diagnosis was confirmed after using echocardiography, three-dimensional imaging of CT pulmonary angiography. All the patients accepted the treatment combination of low molecular weight heparin and warfarin. Results All the patients were cured without complications like chest or wound bleeding. Follow-up checks 3 months after the surgery showed no relapses. Conclusions Thoracotomy patients are of high risks of PTE. The diagnosis should be based on imaging examinations. Treatment combination of low molecular weight heparin and warfarin has a remarkable effect in treating PTE patients after thoracotomy, which also has a low rate of bleeding complications.
Quality control of general thoracic surgery contains many links including the qualification and technical conditions of medical institutions, preoperative diagnostic system, surgery, postoperative management, pathological diagnosis and follow-up. Standards of quality control should be based on evidence-based medicine, and general rules with detailed criteria. As one of the core concepts of quality control, fine management is ought to strictly follow clinical practice guideline of thoracic surgery, to be clear with quality standards of each key link in clinical pathway, and to improve the clinical quality control system that combines self-evaluation and supervision and inspection.
It has been absent from an accepted criteria for normalization and quality control of the thoracic surgery until now. The ideal assessing instrument which will be used to evaluate the technical skills and surgical procedures should present a few vital characterizations below: objectivity, speciality in the content, detailed structure, and quantifiability. Objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) has developed as a reliable method of surgical skills measurement. This article focuses on the history of OSATS and its prospect in the thoracic surgery area by reviewing relevant literatures.
ObjectiveTo discuss the clinical characteristics and the management of major complications after thoracic surgery.MethodsRetrospective research was conducted on 15 213 patients who underwent thoracic surgery from January 2008 to September 2018 in our hospital. Thirty-six (0.24%) patients died of postoperative complications. Based on whether major complications such as severe pulmonary pneumonia and other 13 complications were presented postoperatively, the patients were divided into a complication group (n=389, 294 males and 95 females, aged 61.93±10.23 years) and a non-complication group (n=14 785, 8 636 males and 6 149 females, aged 55.27±13.21 years) after exclusion of unqualified patients. The age, gender distribution, diagnosis, surgical approach, postoperative hospital stay, in-hospital costs and other clinical data were analyzed. And the treatment and outcomes of the complications were summarized.ResultsThe age, proportion of male, malignancy and esophageal diseases, postoperative hospital stay and in-hospital costs in the complication group were significantly more or higher than those in the non-complication group (P<0.05). The top three causes of death among the 36 deaths were pulmonary embolism (PE, 25.00%), severe pulmonary pneumonia (16.67%) and acute respiratory failure (16.67%), respectively. The top five complications among the severe complication group were pulmonary pneumonia (24.73%), pleural space (19.83%), anastomotic leak (17.48%), pulmonary atelectasis (11.51%) and PE (6.18%).ConclusionThoracic surgeons should recognize patients with high risk of severe complications preoperatively based on clinical characteristics and perform multi-disciplinary treatment for severe complications.
ObjectiveTo explore the training mode for improving the innovative scientific research ability of postgraduates of thoracic surgery.MethodsTwenty-two postgraduate students enrolled in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ruijin Hospital from September 2016 to June 2019 were targeted for training, and the teachers were 13 doctors in our department. Training methods included grant-based learning, formative learning and translational medical learning. In addition to the postgraduate education provided by the medical school, the training content also included more than 50 lectures about thoracic surgery, including surgical video explanation, perioperative management of thoracic surgery, interpretation of clinical guidelines, and intensive reading of the literature; it also included half-year clinical internship, 100 surgical operations and management of 5 medical beds in ward.ResultsClinical ability of the postgraduates were improved. Six postgraduate students enrolled in 2016 graduated successfully. They published 15 SCI papers and won more than 20 awards.ConclusionCultivating postgraduates of thoracic surgery oriented by innovative scientific research ability is conducive to the comprehensive understanding of thoracic diseases and the ability of innovative translation research.