Objective To evaluate the feasibility and safety of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS）anatomic segmentectomy. Methods Clinical data of 26 patients with lung diseases who underwent complete VATS anatomic segmentectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2010 to July 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 8 male and 18 female patients with their age of 13-81 （53.2±3.1） years. There were 23 patients with pulmonary nodules including 13 patients who underwent direct surgical resection and 10 patients with ground-glass opacity nodules （3 patients received preoperative localization and the other 7 patients received direct surgical resection）. All the 3 patients with non-nodule pulmonary diseases （bronchiectasis, pulmonary bulla and pulmonary cyst respectively） underwent direct surgical resection. Results All the 26 patients received complete VATS anatomic segme- ntectomy successfully. The operation time was 150-250 （193.7±7.3） min，and intraoperative blood loss was 10-200 （65.7±12.7） ml. Patients with lung cancer received 4-7 （5.1±0.3） stations of lymph node dissection and the number of lymph node dissection was 4-16 （12.3±0.5） for each patient. There was no in-hospital death or postoperative complication. Postoperative thoracic drainage time was 3-7 （3.9±0.4） days. All the patients were discharge uneventfully. Lung cancer patients were followed up for 3-6 months without recurrence or metastasis. Conclusion Complete VATS anatomic segmentectomy is a safe and feasible surgical procedure.
Objective To evaluate the safety，efficacy，short- and long-term clinical outcomes of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS） lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods Clinical data of231 consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent complete VATS lobectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of NanjingMedical University between June 2006 and March 2011 were retrospective analyzed. There were 132 male and 99 femalepatients with their age of 15-81 （59.51±11.90） years. Preoperative cancer staging wasⅠa in 149 patients，Ⅰb in 50 patients，Ⅱa in 14 patients，Ⅱb in 13 patients and Ⅲa in 5 patients. There were 152 patients with adenocarcinoma，41 patients with squamous carcinoma，23 patients with bronchioalveolar carcinoma，5 patients with adenosquamous carcinoma，4 patients with large cell carcinoma，and 6 patients with other carcinoma. Follow-up data were statistically analyzed，and short-and long-term survival rates were calculated. Results No perioperative mortality was observed. Operation time was 60-370（199.14±51.04） minutes，and intraoperative blood loss was 10-2 300 （168.19±176.39） ml. Thirty-seven patients had postoperative complications including air leak，pulmonary infection，atelectasis，arrhythmia，subcutaneous emphysema andothers，who were all cured after conservative treatment. Mean number of dissected lymph nodes was 11.14±5.49，and meannumber of explored nodal stations was 3.66±1.52. There were 51 patients （22.08%） whose postoperative cancer staging wasmore advanced than preoperative cancer staging. Postoperative hospital stay was 3-36 （10.79±5.13） days. Primary causesof prolonged postoperative hospitalization included pulmonary air leak，pulmonary infection，preoperative concomitant chronic pulmonary diseases （COPD，asthma），and moderate to severe pulmonary dysfunction. A total of 228 patients werefollowed up for a mean duration of 40.83 months （22-82 months），and 3 patients were lost during follow-up. Overall 5-yearsurvival rates were 85.78%，52.54% and 32.70% for stageⅠ，stageⅡand stageⅢ-Ⅳpatients respectively. Five-year cancerfreesurvival rates were 80.00%，45.37% and 20.99% for stageⅠ，stageⅡand stageⅢ-Ⅳpatients respectively. ConclusionThe advantages of VATS lobectomy include smaller surgical incision，less injury and postoperative pain，quicker postoperative recovery and shorter hospital stay. Long-term survival rate is comparable to previous international and Chinese studies. VATS lobectomy can anatomically achieve complete tumor resection and systematic lymph node dissection. VATS lobectomy will become a standard surgical procedure for NSCLC patients.
Objective To improve the precision of subsegmentectomy, through analyzing the proportion and classification of the intrasegmental and intersegmental trans-subsegmental artery (TSA) in the right upper lobe. Methods The imaging data of the patients who underwent pulmonary angiography in the right upper lobe from January 2021 to June 2022 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The anatomy of subsegmental bronchi and arteries in the right upper lung was studied by comparing 3D CT bronchography and angiography and thin-section CT (lung window). The types of tans-subsegmental artery were further refined. Results Finally 111 patients were collected, including 36 males and 75 females with an average age of 61.83±8.91 years. There were 29 types of TSA in the right upper pulmonary artery, and 45% (13/29) of the types occurred only once. In the S1, S2, and S3 segments, the proportion of TSA was 52% (58/111), 41% (45/111), and 32% (36/111), respectively. Among them, the type with the highest proportion was A1b+A1at in S1, originating from the upper trunk artery, accounting for 67% (39/58). There were 24% (27/111), 5% (5/111), and 8% (9/111) TSA between S1 and S2, S2 and S3, and S1 and S3, respectively. There were four types of bronchi in the right upper lobe. There was no statistical difference in the proportion of the intrasegmental and intersegmental TSA (P>0.05). Conclusion The TSA in the right upper lobe is common and has various types. Segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy is a highly personalized surgical procedure.
Abstract： Objective To investigate the application of a silicone guiding tube for endoscopic linear stapling device in complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy，so as to improve the safety and efficiency of manipulating the endoscopic linear stapling device. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 178 patients with peripheral non-small cell lung caner and 26 patients with benign lung lesions who underwent surgical resection in First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from October 2009 to December 2011. There were 85 males and 119 females with their average age of 62±11 years. A total of 172 patients underwent complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and 32 patients underwent segmentectomy. We designed a silicone guiding tube to facilitate the use of endoscopic linear stapling device. With the help of the tube， a1l pulmonary arteries， veins， bronchus and interlobar fissure involved were managed with endoscopic linear stapling devices. Results Three patients （1.47%）underwent conversion to thoracotomy because of dense lymph node adhesion， and all other complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries were successfully performed. There was no blood vessel injury， severe postoperative complications or perioperative death. The use rate of the tube was 95.6% （303/317）， 66.9% （115/172）， 22.7% （39/172） and 78.5% （255/325） in pulmonary arteries， veins， bronchus and interlobar fissure stapling for lobectomy respectively， and 94.4% （34/36）， 77.3% （17/22）， 25.0% （8/32）， 33.1% （45/136） in pulmonary arteries， veins， bronchus and interlobar fissure stapling for segmentectomy respectively. For lobectomy， a total of 986 staples were used with an average of 5.7 staples for each patient， the average operative time was 192.5±54.0 min and average intraoperative blood loss was 118.1±104.1 ml. For segmentectomy， a total of 226 staples were used with an average of 7.1 staples for each patient， the average operative time was 193.7±37.4 min and average intraoperative blood loss was 60.9±78.0 ml. Conclusion Using a silicone guiding tube can facilitate the application of endoscopic linear stapling device， shorten the learning curve of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy， and improve the safety， convenience and economical efficiency of endoscopic linear stapling device.
ObjectiveTo analyze the difference of location identification of pulmonary nodules in two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) images, and to discuss the identification methods and clinical significance of pulmonary nodules location in 3D space.MethodsThe clinical data of 105 patients undergoing sublobectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from December 2018 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 28 males and 77 females, with an average age of 57.21±13.19 years. The nodule location was determined by traditional 2D method and 3D depth ratio method respectively, and the differences were compared.ResultsA total of 30 nodules had different position identification between the two methods, among which 25 nodules in the inner or middle zone of 2D image were located in the peripheral region of 3D image. The overall differences between the two methods were statistically significant (P<0.05). The diagnostic consistency rates of two methods were 66.67% in the right upper lung, 83.33% in the right middle lung, 73.68% in the right lower lung, 75.76% in the left upper lung, and 64.71% in the left lower lung. In each lung lobe, the difference between the two methods in the right upper lung (P=0.014) and the left upper lung (P=0.019) was statistically significant, while in the right middle lung (P=1.000), right lower lung (P=0.460) and left lower lung (P=0.162) were not statistically significant.ConclusionThe 3D position definition of lung nodules based on depth ratio is more accurate than the traditional 2D definition, which is helpful for preoperative planning of sublobectomy.
Objective To investigate the benefits of using a stapler tractor in the treatment of segmental bronchus during lung segmentectomy through detailed video replay analysis of surgical procedures. Methods We collected data from patients who underwent segmental resection performed by the same surgical team in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from November 1, 2020 to August 31, 2023. After excluding data that lacked analysis parameters, the remaining data were divided into four groups based on the methods used for dissociating segmental bronchus: stapler tractor group (group A), stapler with bronchial stretching group (group B), stapler only group (group C), and silk ligature group (group D). We then compared baseline data and videotaped surgical details across all groups. Surgical details included the success rate of one-time segmental bronchus dissociation and severance, the time taken for successful one-time dissociation and severance of the segmental bronchus, the incidence of bleeding during bronchus dissociation, the conversion rate to thoracotomy during surgery, and surgical outcomes such as total operative time, postoperative hospitalization days, postoperative thoracic drainage volume, and pulmonary air leakage rate. Results The study included 325 patients (203 in the group A, 62 in the group B, 29 in the group C, and 31 in group D). There was no statistically significant difference in baseline data among the four groups. However, significant differences were found in terms of total operation time, postoperative hospitalization days, intraoperative blood loss, segmental bronchial stump length, postoperative air leakage rate, hemorrhage rate during segmental bronchial dissociation, and conversion to thoracotomy rate among the four groups (P<0.05). Conclusions Using a stapler tractor for dissociating segmental bronchus in lung segmentectomy results in shorter operative time, less risk of intraoperative bleeding, and reduced surgical complications. This study provides valuable evaluation methodologies through the analysis of video replay surgical details, contributing to the improvement of lung segmentectomy quality.
Thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy is one of the important treatment methods for early lung cancer. Only the premise of surgical precision can make the radical resection of lesions and maximum reservation of healthy lung tissue be simultaneously guaranteed. As a representative of the precise lung operation, the " cone-shaped lung segmentectomy” focuses on the lesion, and combines the anatomical characteristic of the patient to design individualized operation scheme. The technological core consists of three parts, three dimensional-computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) surgery path planning, accurate definition of intersegmental demarcation and anatomic dissection of intersegmental borders along the demarcation. This paper aims to explore the technical process and quality control of the key techniques of thoracoscopic precise segmentectomy, so as to standardize the segmentectomy procedure under the principle of radical and minimally invasive therapy.
ObjectiveTo analyze the results and rationality of the lesion-focused strategy with subsegment as the pulmonary anatomical unit for pulmonary nodules with a diameter of ≤2 cm which require surgery. MethodsClinical data of 246 patients with pulmonary nodules who underwent surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2017 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, including 76 males and 170 females, with an average age of 53.30±11.82 years. The patients were divided into four groups, a single segmentectomy group, a segmentectomy combined with adjacent subsegmentectomy group, a single subsegmentectomy group and a combined subsegmentectomy group, according to the different surgical approaches, to compare preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative related data. ResultsThere was no perioperative death. Among the four groups, there was no statistical difference in gender (P=0.163), age (P=0.691), diameter of the nodule (P=0.743), longitudinal position of the nodule (depth ratio, P=0.831), postoperative pulmonary leakage (P=0.752), intraoperative blood loss (P=0.135), pathological type (P=0.951) or TNM stage (P=0.995); there were statistical differences in transverse position of the nodule (P<0.001) and number of subsegments involved (P<0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with combined subsegmentectomy, the odds ratio (OR) of the lung nodule in segmentectomy combined with adjacent subsegmentectomy as intersegment nodules was 5.759 (95%CI 1.162 to 28.539, P=0.032).Conclusion The surgical strategy of lesion focused and subsegment as anatomical unit is safe and feasible for surgical treatment of pulmonary nodules with diameter ≤2 cm. The transverse position of the nodules is an important factor affecting the choice of surgical method for the middle and lateral nodules with a diameter of ≤2 cm, and the longitudinal location of the nodule is not an influencing factor. For nodules in inner zone, the diameter also is one of the factors influencing the choice of surgical method.
Objective To investigate whether 3D-guided cone-shaped segmentectomy could achieve comparable long-term outcomes with lobectomy for ≤2 cm deep early-stage lung cancer. Methods We retrospectively screened patients with ≤2 cm deep early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy at our center from January 2012 to December 2018. All pulmonary segmentectomy was performed using 3D-guided cone-shaped segmentectomy with segment or subsegment as the resection unit. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were performed by Cox proportional hazard regression model. The patients who underwent segmentectomy and lobectomy were matched 1:1 by propensity-score matching analysis. The oncological outcomes of two groups were compared. ResultsOur cohort was divided into a segmentectomy group (n=222) and a lobectomy group (n=127). The age, total nodule size, solid component size and proportion of pure solid nodule in lobectomy group were significantly higher than those in segmentectomy group. The median follow-up time was 49 months. Surgical margins were negative in all patients. The local recurrence rate of segmentectomy was 0.45%. The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients in segmentectomy group were significantly better than those in the lobectomy group (5-year DFS: 98.64% vs. 89.77%, P<0.001; 5-year OS: 99.55% vs. 92.10%, P<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the differences between two groups were not significant [DFS: HR=0.52 (0.11, 2.59), P=0.427; OS: HR=0.08 (0, 3.24), P=0.179] after adjusting for other factors. After propensity score matching, 77 patients were preserved in both segmentectomy group and lobectomy group, with the mean nodule size of 1.49 cm and 1.44 cm and the mean consolidation tumor ratio (CTR) of 0.52 and 0.46, respectively. There was no statistical difference in DFS (P=0.640) and OS (P=0.310) between two groups. Conclusion3D-guided cone-shaped segmentectomy could be an acceptable treatment for ≤2 cm low-grade malignant NSCLC deep in lung parenchyma, and its oncology effect was not inferior to lobectomy.