Esophagectomy and extensive lymphadenectomy still remain effective treatment strategies for patients with resectable esophageal carcinoma (EC). However,traditional esophagectomy is performed via open approaches and associated with significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality after esophagectomy,various minimally invasive techniques have been introduced to esophagectomy by many medical centers,and minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has been widely developed in thoracic surgery. MIE has been proven to be a safe and feasible approach for the treatment of EC. Compared with open esophagectomy,MIE can reduce surgical blood loss,achieve complete and standardized tumor resection and lymph node dissection,and obtain equivalent long-term survival results. However,there are still controversies in some aspects of MIE for the treatment of EC,and the superiority of MIE has not been fully demonstrated. In this review,we focus on five aspects of MIE for the treatment of EC,including MIE techniques,perioperative outcomes,completeness and standard of tumor resection,long-term survival results and current problems.
ObjectiveTo explore the risk factors of intraabdominal complications (IACs), pancreatic fistula (PF), and operative death after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), and to provide a theoretical basis in reducing the rates of them. MethodsClinical data of 78 patients who underwent standard PD surgery in The Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from Jun. 2003 to Nov. 2011 were collected to analyze the influence factors of IACs, PF, and operative death. ResultsThere were 29 cases suffered IACs (13 cases of PF included), and 6 case died during 1 month after operation. Univariate analysis results showed that IACs and PF occurred more often in patients with soft friable pancreas, diameter of main pancreatic duct less than 3 mm, preoperative biliary drainage, no pancreatic duct stenting, and without employment of somatostatin (P < 0.05), no influence factor was found to be related to operative death. Multivariate analysis results showed that patients with no pancreatic duct stenting (OR=1.867, P=0.000), soft texture of remnant stump (OR=1.356, P=0.046), and diameter of main pancreatic duct less than 3 mm (OR=2.874, P=0.015) suffered more IACs; PF was more frequent in patient with no pancreatic duct stenting (OR=1.672, P=0.030), soft texture of remnant stump (OR=1.946, P=0.042), and diameter of main pancreatic duct less than 3 mm (OR=1.782, P=0.002);no independent factor was found to have relationship with operative death. ConclusionsSoft texture of remnant stump, diameter of main pancreatic duct less than 3 mm, and no pancreatic duct stenting are independent risk factors that should be considered in indications for PD surgery.
ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical outcomes of single utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for patients with early-stage peripheral non-small cell lung cancer. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 46 consecutive patients with early-stage peripheral non-small cell lung cancer who underwent single utility port complete VATS lobectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei north University from December 2012 through November 2014. There were 39 male patients and 7 female patients with their age of 42-76 (60.26±4.38) years (VATS group). There were 58 patients with early-stage peripheral non-small cell lung cancer who underwent lobectomy via traditional thoracotomy including 47 male and 11 female patients with their age of 44-73 (61.42±3.67) years for the same period (conventional thoracotomy group). Clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. ResultsAll the operations were successful. There was no conversions during single utility port VATS lobectomy, and no periopera-tive death in both groups. The VATS group had significantly less blood loss (126.10±48.56 ml vs. 260.84±69.70 ml), and amount of thoracic drainage (230.52±50.22 ml vs. 380.16±96.24 ml, P<0.05). Hospital stay was significantly shorter in the VATS group than the conventional thoracotomy group (6.42±1.40 days vs. 9.64±2.08 days, P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the VATS group and the conventional thoracotomy group with regard to the opera-ting time (146.25±19.68 minutes vs. 139.26±25.39 minutes), number of lymph nodes procured (13.56±2.31 vs. 14.12±3.06), and postoperative complications (13.0% vs. 19.0%, P>0.05). ConclusionSingle utility port VATS lobectomy for patients with early-stage peripheral non-small cell lung cancer is technically feasible, with less blood loss and shorter hospital stays for achieving acceptable standards of lymph node dissection. It is a promising surgical procedures for patients with early-stage peripheral non-small cell lung cancer.