Abstract: Objective To explore the outcomes of videoassistedthoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the treatment of esophageal leiomyoma. Me thods [WTBZ] We reviewed and analyzed the clinical data of 87 patients with esophageal leiomyoma treated with VATS in Changhai Hospital of Second Military Medical University between June 2002 and January 2009. [WTHZ]Results [WTBZ]Videoassisted thoracoscopic leiomyoma enucleations was performed in 80 patients, whilea conversion to minithoracotomy was required in 7 others. All procedures werecompleted smoothly and the postoperative recovery was uneventful, without mortality or severe complications. The patients were drinking liquids from postoperative day 1 and were eating a normal diet from day 3. All patients were pathologically diagnosed with leiomyoma after operation. Followups of 6 months to 6.5 years (mean: 3.8 years) found no recurrence. [WTHZ] Conclusion [WTBZ]Videoassisted thoracoscopic enucleation can be the first choice for esophageal leiomyomas derived from lamina propria. Patients with esophageal leiomyomas of diameter gt;1.0 cm should be treated with VATS .
ObjectiveTo compare the accuracy and safety of semirigid thoracoscopy and rigid thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of unexplained pleural effusion. MethodsA prospective randomized study was conducted, in which the patients with unexplained pleural effusion were enrolled consecutively from March 2012 to March 2014 in West China Hospital. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 75 years. After informed consent, the subjects were randomized to a semirigid thoracoscopy group or a rigid thoracoscopy group to be examined. ResultsForty-nine patients were assigned to the semirigid thoracoscopy group, and 48 patients were assigned to the rigid thoracoscopy group. After thoracoscopy procedure, 44 patients were confirmed as malignant diseases, and 48 patients were confirmed as benign diseases. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 93.9% for the semirigid procedure and 95.8% for the rigid procedure. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for malignancy were 96.0% and 100.0% for the semirigid thoracoscopy, and 95.2% and 100.0% for the rigid thoracoscopy, respectively, without statistical significant differences between two groups. All the patients tolerated well with minor complications after two kinds of thoracoscopy. ConclusionsThe diagnostic accuracy of semirigid thoracoscopy and rigid thoracoscopy is comparable in the diagnosis of unexplained pleural diseases. The samples obtained by semirigid thoracoscopy are smaller, but adequate for pathological examination.
ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility and efficacy of staged bilateral single-port thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) for the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema (COPE). MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed clinical data of eleven male patients with bilateral COPE and bullae in Xuzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from January 2013 through June 2014. All the patients underwent staged bilateral single-port thoracoscopic LVRS with their age of 60.27± 12.11 years. The hyperinflated bullae were resected using endoscopic staplers (Endo-GIA), followed by continuous suture and biological glue for reinforcement of the margin. Besides, the pulmonary function, blood gas assay, 6-minute walk distance (6-MWD), and life quality evaluated by short form 36 Health survey questionnaire (SF-36) were recorded before and after LVRS respectively. ResultsAll the patients survived after surgery. Chest tube drainage time was 9.09± 1.31 days. Postoperative hospital stay was 15.73± 2.75 days. There were 5 patients with persistent air leakage and 7 patients with pulmonary infection who were cured finally. The pulmonary function, arterial partial pressure of oxygen(PaO2), 6-MWD and life quality after unilateral or bilateral LVRS improved than those before surgery in postoperative 3 months. However, there was no statistical difference in outcomes between unilateral and bilateral LVRS patients. ConclusionStaged bilateral single-port thoracoscopic LVRS could improve short-term life quality of patients with COPE.
ObjectiveTo compare the clinical efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopy and thoracotomy for the treatment of encapsulated tuberculous pleurisy. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 99 patients who had underwent surgery for encapsulated tuberculous pleurisy within 3 months of disease onset in our hospital from January through December 2013. Based on the surgical mode, patients were assigned to a video-assisted thoracoscopy group, including 49 patients (35 males and 14 females, a mean age of 26.78±9.36 years), to receive video-assisted thoracoscopic pleurectomy; or a thoracotomy group, including 50 patients (31 males and 19 females, a mean age of 31.84±11.08 years), to receive conventional thoracotomic pleurectomy. The first 43 patients in the video-assisted thoracoscopy group received thoracic catheter drainage, with the drainage volume of 659.08±969.29 ml; the first 48 patients in the thoracotomy group received thoracic catheter drainage, with the drainage volume of 919.03±129.97 ml. The clinical effects were compared between the two groups. ResultsAll the patients in the video-assisted thoracoscopy group completed thoracoscopy without conversion to thoracotomy. The surgery duration and postoperative intubation time were shorter in the video-assisted thoracoscopy group than those in the thoracotomy group (surgery duration:103.00±53.04 min vs. 127.06±51.60 min, P<0.01; postoperative intubation time 3.02±0.83 d vs. 3.94±1.25 d, P<0.01). At the end of 6 months of follow-up, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1>) was 2.83±0.64 L in the thoracos-copy group and 2.25±0.64 L in the thoracotomy group (P<0.01); forced vital capacity (FVC) was 3.02±0.72 L in the thora-coscopy group and 2.57±0.79 L in the thoracotomy group (P<0.05); and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) was 93.90± 15.86 L in the thoracoscopy group and 80.34±17.06 L in the thoracotomy group (P<0.01). ConclusionThoracoscopic surgery is feasible for patients with encapsulated pleurisy within 3 months of onset. Furthermore video-assisted thoraco-scopy will be superior to thoracotomy.
Objective To compare the effects of epidural anesthesia with intubated anesthesia in the postoperative recovery of patients with thoracoscopic resection of lung bullae. Methods Sixty patients (53 males, 7 females, aged 16-65 years) undergoing thoracoscopic resection of unilateral pulmonary bullae in our hospital from December 2014 to December 2015 were randomly divided into two groups: a group A (epidural anesthesia group) received thoracic epidural block combined with intraoperative interthoracic vagus nerve block; a group B (general anesthesia group) received general anesthesia with double lumen endobronchial intubation and pulmonary sequestration. Postoperative anesthesia-related complications and postoperative recovery were recorded. Results Both of the two anesthesia methods could meet the requirements of operation. The patients with the vocal cord injury and sore throat in the group B were more than those in the group A. The difference was statistically significant in the incidence of sore throat (P<0.01) . Arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in the group A was significantly higher than that of group B before lung recruitment (P<0.01). Compared with the group B, the group A had less visual analogue scale (VAS) score (P<0.05), earlier activity and feeding, less postoperative ICU and hospital stay (P<0.01). Conclusion Epidural anesthesia combined with intraoperative interthoracic vagus nerve block can meet thoracoscopic bullectomy surgery requirements with few complications and fast postoperative recovery.
Objective To explore the safety and feasibility of spontaneous breathing anesthesia combined with tubeless uniportal thoracoscopy in pulmonary bullae surgery. Methods Totally 112 patients with pulmonary bullae in the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from March 2015 to May 2017 were enrolled. According to the random number chosen by computer, the patients were randomly divided into two groups: a tubeless group (spontaneous breathing anesthesia combined with tubeless uniportalthoracoscopy) and a control group (uniportal thoracoscopy by general anesthesia with tracheal intubation) . There were 49 males and 7 females with an average age of 25.5±6.5 years in the tubeless group, and 50 males and 6 females with an average age of 23.5±4.5 years in the control group. The difference of the lowest intraoperative arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), SaO2 at postoperative one hour, operation time, postoperative awakening time, hospital stay, hospitalization cost and postoperative pain score were analyzed. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in the operation time, the lowest SaO2, SaO2 at one hour after the operation and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2). The awakening time and duration of postoperative hospital stay in the tubeless group was shorter than those in the control group (P=0.000). The cost of hospitalization in the tubeless group was less than that in the control group (P=0.000). The discomfort caused by urinary tract and visual analogue score (VAS) in the tubeless group were better than those in the control group. Conclusion It is safe and feasible to use spontaneous breathing anesthesia combined with tubeless uniportal thoracoscopy in pulmonary bullae resection.
Objective To compare the effect of uniportal and multiportal thoracoscopic lobectomy, and to explore the advantages and applications of uniportal thoracoscopic lobectomy in enhanced recovery after surgery. Methods Totally 169 patients with video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy in Department of Thoracic Surgery of Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January to December 2016 were enrolled. There were 99 males and 70 females with age of 60.83±7.24 years. Patients were divided into two groups: a uniportal group (78 patients) and a multiportal group (91 patients) . Patients’ clinical and pathological materials were collected. Postoperative pain, complications and hospital stay, etc of the two groups were compared. Results All patients were successfully discharged without serious postoperative complication or death. Patients in the multiportal group had smaller surgical incisions than that in the uniportal group (3.12±0.73 cm vs. 6.38±1.50 cm, P=0.016). Pain scores at postoperative 24 and 48 hours of the uniportal group were less than those of multiportal group (4.18±1.67 vs. 6.54±1.83, 3.05±1.47 vs. 4.68±1.64, P<0.05). Operation data, postoperative complications and hospital stay were similar in both groups. Conclusion Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy makes smaller incisions and can further reduce postoperative pain and dosage of morphine. The operation is safe and worthy of wide application in enhanced recoveryafter surgery.
Objective To investigate the short-term postoperative pain between robot-assisted and thoracolaparoscopic McKeown esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma. Methods We prospectively analyzed clinical data of 77 patients with esophageal carcinoma in our hospital between September 2016 and February 2017. The patients were allocated into two groups including a robot group and a thoracolaparoscopic group. The patients underwent robot assisted McKeown esophagectomy in the robot group and thoracolaparoscopic McKeown esophagectomy in the thoracolaparoscopic group. There were 38 patients with 30 males and 8 females at average age of 60.80±6.20 years in the thoracolaparoscopic group, and 39 patients with 35 males and 4 females at average age of 60.90±7.20 years in the robot group. Results There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the postoperative usage of analgesic drugs. The patients in the robot group experienced less postoperative pain on postoperative day 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 than the patients in the thoracolaparoscopic group. The mean value of visual analogue scale (VAS) on postoperative day 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 for the robot group and the thoracolaparoscopic group was 3.20±1.10 versus 2.70±0.90 (P=0.002), 2.75±0.96 versus 2.40±0.98 (P=0.030), 2.68±1.08 versus 2.02±0.8 (P=0.005); 2.49±0.99 versus 1.81±0.88 (P=0.003), 2.27±0.83 versus 1.51±0.61 (P<0.001), respectively. Conclusion Compared with the thoracolaparoscopic group, patients receiving robot assisted McKeown esophagectomy experience less postoperative short-term pain. However, the long-term postoperative pain for these patients needs to be further studied.
Objective To compare the different surgical treatment methods of thymoma combined with myasthenia gravis (MG), and to discuss the clinical effectiveness of thoracoscopic combined mediastinoscopic extended thymectomy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 58 patients of thymoma combined with myasthenia gravis in Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital between 2011 and 2016 year. According to the operation method, the patients were divided into three groups including a group A for thoracoscopic thymectomy (n=32), a group B for thoracoscopic combined mediastinoscopic thymectomy (n=15), and a group C for transsternal thymectomy (n=11). The clinical effects were observed and compared. Results In the group A and the group B, the bleeding volume, postoperative hospital stay and other complications were significantly lower than those in the group C with statistical differences (P<0.05). The incidence of myasthenic crisis in the group B (6.7%) was less than that in the group C (36.4 %), but the difference was not statistically different (P=0.058). The operation time of the three groups was 122.0 ± 39.4 min, 130.3 ± 42.5 min, and 142.3 ± 40.8 min respectively with no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The rate of dissection grade in the group B (grade 1, 12 patients, 80%) was significantly greater than that in the group A (grade 1, 14 patients, 43.8%,P<0.05). The effective rate of the group A, the group B, the group C was 84.4%, 93.3% and 90.9%, respectively with no statistical difference between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The thoracoscopy combined mediastinoscopic thymectomy not only has the advantages of less trauma, quicker recovery and fewer complications, but also can more thoroughly clean the thymus and adipose tissue, which can achieve the same therapeutic effect as the transsternal thymectomy.
Objective To analyze the safety and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. Methods We prospectively collected the clinical data of 12 patients with ASD treated by ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic ASD closure in Fuwai Hospital from January to September 2017. The characteristics of the patients' ASD and operation, operation safety and effectiveness, postoperative complications and follow-up results were analyzed. Results Among the 12 patients, 10 were successfully treated with ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic ASD closure. Two patients switched to ASD repair under thoracoscopy-assisted cardiopulmonary bypass. The size of the ASD was 17-40 (27.22±8.97) mm and the size of the occluder was 36 (30-42) mm. The average postoperative length of hospital stay was 6 days. There were no complications such as arrhythmia, bleeding and pericardial effusion after operation. The average follow-up was 6 (3-10) months after the operation. During the follow-up, no Ⅲ-degree conduction block, occluder dislocation, residual shunt or cardiac pericardial effusion was found. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic ASD closure is a minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment. This technique provides a new minimally invasive surgical option for patients with large defect diameter and poor edge condition.