Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of singledirection lobectomy plus systematic lymphnode dissection for primary nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the early stage by videoassisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 89 patients who received VATS lobectomy plus systematic lymphnode dissection for earlystage primary NSCLC in the Second People’s Hospital of Chengdu between June 2006 and December 2009. Based on the operative approach, the patients were divided into two groups: VATSminithoracotomy group and singledirection lobectomy VATS group. In the former group, there were 46 patients, including 36 males and 10 females, with an age of 58.76±14.78 years. For patients in this group, minithoracotomy was carried out assisted by VATS. In the latter group, there were 43 patients, including 37 males and 6 females, with an age of 61.34±12.56 years, and singledirection lobectomy VATS was performed for patients in this group. Moreover, 42 patients undergoing routine posterior lateral open thoracotomy were chosen to form the control group (thoracotomy group, included 37 males and 5 females with an age of 56.30±15.59 years). The clinical features, such as operative time, operative blood loss, the number of systematic dissected lymph nodes, postoperative drainage quantity, postoperative complications and visual analogue scale (VAS) of chest pain were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the early outcomes. Results No operative death occurred in all three groups. There were significant differences among the three groups in the postoperative drainage time (P=0.024), postoperative drainage quantity (P=0.019), operative blood loss (P=0.009), early outofbed activity time (P=0.031), and the incidence of cardiopulmonary complications (P=0.048). Compared with the VATSminithoracotomy group, the singledirection lobectomy VATS group was significantly lower or shorter (Plt;0.05) in postoperative drainage quantity (208.33±50.39 ml vs. 245.98±45.32 ml), operative blood loss (78.79±24.23 ml vs. 112.63±64.32 ml), and the early outofbed activity time (2.31±0.27 d vs. 3.56±0.31 d). The rate of using Dolantin in the control group was significantly higher than the other two groups (P=0.046, 0.007). The change of VAS score among the three groups after operation was also statistically significant (F=5.796, P=0.002). A total of 109 patients (37 in the VATSminithoracotomy group, 37 in the singledirection lobectomy VATS group, and 35 in the control group) were followed up after operation with a period of 2 to 48 months. Twentytwo patients were lost in the followup. There were 10, 9, and 8 deaths during the followup in the three groups respectively, and the median survival time was 40 months, 37 months, and 37 months respectively. There was no significant difference among the three groups in survival time (P=0.848). Conclusion VATS, especially VATS assisted single direction lobectomy and systematic lymphnode dissection for primary NSCLC in the early stage has the same surgical efficacy as the traditional open thoracotomy, and is minimally invasive, which contributes to a quick recovery. Consequently, it is a reliable approach for lung cancer in the early stage.
Objective To analyze the outcome of fast track surgery after intercostal nerve block (INB) during thoracoscopic resection of lung bullae. Methods We recuited 76 patients who accepted thoracoscopic resection of lung bullae from February 2013 to March 2015. They were randomly divided into two groups: an intercostal nerve block and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (INB+IPCA) group, in which 38 patients (30 males, 8 females, with a mean age of 23.63±4.10 years) received INB intraoperatively and IPCA postoperatively, and a postoperative intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IPCA) group, in which 38 patients (33 males, 5 females, with a mean age of 24.93±6.34 years) only received IPCA postoperatively. Their general clinical data and the postoperative pain visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded. Analgesia-associated side effects, rate of the pulmonary infection were observed. Expenses associated with analgesia during hospital were calculated. Results The score of VAS, the incidence of nausea and vomiting, fatigue and other side effects, pulmonary atelectasis and the infection rate in the INB+IPCA group were significantly lower than those in the IPCA group. Postoperative use of analgesic drugs was significantly less than that in the IPCA group. Medical expenses did not significantly increase. Conclusion INB+IPCA is beneficial for fast track surgery after thoracoscopic resection of lung bullae.
Objective To research the relationship between decrease of serum surfactant protein D (SP-D) level reduced by pulmonary rehabilitation training and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC). Methods From May 2015 through December 2015, 80 consecutive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with surgical treatment in West China Hospital, who were at least with a high risk factor, were randomly divided into two groups including a group R and a group C. There were 36 patients with 25 males and 11 females at age of 63.98±8.32 years in the group R and 44 patients with 32 males and 12 females at age of 64.58±6.71 years in the group C.The group R underwent an intensive preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) training for one week, and then with lobectomy. The group C underwent only lobectomy with conventional perioperative managements. Postoperative pulmonary complications, average days in hospital, other clinic data and the serum SP-D level in a series of time from the date of admission to discharge (5 time points) were analyzed. Results The incidence of PPC in the group R was 5.56%(2/36),which was lower than that in the group C (P=0.032). The descender of the serum SP-D level of the patients in the group R (30.75±5.57 ng/mlvs. 24.22±3.08 ng/ml) was more obvious than that in the group C (31.16±7.81 ng/mlvs. 30.29±5.80 ng/ml,P=0.012). The descender of the serum SP-D level of the patients with PPC was more obvious than that of patients without PPC (P=0.012). Conclusion The preoperative PR training could reduce the PPC of lung cancer surgery with high risk factors. The serum SP-D level could reflect the effect of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation training.
Abstract: Objective To investigate the value of videoassisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) by comparing the early clinical outcomes of extensive thymectomy of VATS and median sternotomy. Methods 195 patients who received extended thymectomy for MG from July 1998 to May 2007 in our department were divided into two groups by operative approach, 83 patients in the VATS group (from April 2002 to May 2007) and 112 patients in the full median sternotomy group(from July 1998 to May 2007). The clinical features, such as operative time, operative blood loss, postoperative drainage, the incidence of crisis, duration of crisis (time of mechanical ventilation), were retrospectively analysed by independent samples t test or chisquare test to evaluate the early outcomes.Results The postoperative drainage in the VATS group was more than that in the median sternotomy group (164.65±38.19ml vs. 98.26±26.84ml, P=0.023), and the operative blood loss in the VATS group was less than that in the median sternotomy group(53.24±11.69ml vs. 97.37±24.61ml,P=0.036). The incidence of crisis in the VATS group was 4.82%(4/83),which was less than that in the median sternotymy group [13.39%(15/112), P=0.046,OR=3.054]. And the persistence time of mechanical ventilation for post-operative crisis in the VATS group was much shorter than that in median sternotomy group (75.33±39.31h vs. 189.20±89.74h, P=0.012). Conclusion VATS extended thymectomy for myasthenia gravis is safe and less invasive. It can decrease the incidence of crisis and the time of mechanical ventilation of crisis, as well as decreasing operative blood loss.