Objective To compare the differences in the application of ultrasound scalpel and coagulation hook in thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor surgery and to analyze the respective advantages and indications of the two commonly used energy instruments. Methods The clinical data of 85 patients undergoing thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor surgery in West China Hospital of Sichuan University between June and November in 2017 were prospectively analyzed. There were 45 males and 40 females at age of 50.45 (18–75) years. The patients were divided into three groups including a ultrasound scalpel group (59 patients), a coagulation hook group (17 patients) and a mixed group (9 patients) according to the using time of energy devices. The clinical effect among the three groups were compared. Results No significant difference was found among the three groups in operation time, blood loss, average duration of chest tube drainage or volume of drainage (P>0.05). No significant complications occurred in all groups during operation or after operation. The proportion of subxiphoid approach in the ultrasound scalpel group was higher than that in the other two groups (49/59vs. 7/17 vs. 5/9, P<0.01). The maximum diameter of the tumor (4.58±2.19 cmvs. 4.05±1.07 cm vs. 3.00±1.45 cm, P<0.05) and the resected tissue weight (103.67±74.78 gvs. 61.17±31.97 g vs. 61.86±34.13 g, P<0.05) were also significantly greater than that in the coagulation hook group or the mixed group. Conclusion Ultrasound scalpel has good safety and reliability in the thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor surgery, and is more suitable for operation in a narrow space.
Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of the subxiphoid robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SRATS) and intercostal robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (IRATS) for the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumors. Methods The clinical data of patients who received robot-assisted anterior mediastinal tumor resection in the same medical unit of the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Gansu Provincial Hospital from May 2020 to July 2022 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into a SRATS group and an IRATS group according to the surgical procedure. The perioperative data of patients were compared between the two groups. Results Finally 87 patients were collected, including 41 in the SRATS group (23 males and 18 females, mean age of 44.51±11.28 years) and 46 in the IRATS group (21 males and 25 females, mean age of 46.67±8.76 years). All 87 patients completed the surgery successfully. Compared with IRATS group, SRATS group had less intraoperative blood loss (24.41±6.67 mL vs. 37.93±9.23 mL, P=0.000), shorter postoperative catheterization time (1.73±0.59 d vs. 2.54±0.50 d, P=0.000), less postoperative drainage (94.46±34.08 mL vs. 116.72±24.90 mL, P=0.001), lower visual analogue score (VAS) on the first postoperative day (3.66±0.76 points vs. 4.15±0.84 points, P=0.005) and third postoperative day (2.41±0.59 points vs. 2.89±0.82 points, P=0.003), shorter postoperative hospital stay (4.12±0.81 d vs. 4.98±1.02 d, P=0.000) and lower hospitalization costs (45.1±6.5 thousand yuan vs. 48.6±6.8 thousand yuan, P=0.020). There was no significant difference in the operation time or the incidence of postoperative complications. Conclusion Both SRATS and IRATS have high safety and efficacy in the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumors. However, SRATS has less damage, which is more conducive to the rapid recovery of patients after surgery, and has a wide prospect of clinical application.
Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of the da Vinci robot and thoracoscopic subxiphoid approach for the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumors. Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent anterior mediastinal tumor resection through the subxiphoid approach admitted to the same medical group in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University between June 2020 and April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the surgery approach, the patients were divided into a robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) group and a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) group. The perioperative data and the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 79 patients were enrolled. There were 41 patients in the RATS group, including 13 males and 28 females, with an average age of 45.61±14.99 years. There were 38 patients in the VATS group, including 14 males and 24 females, with an average age of 47.84±15.05 years. All patients completed the surgery successfully. Hospitalization cost and operative time were higher or longer in the RATS group than those in the VATS group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Intraoperative bleeding, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative water and food intake time, postoperative off-bed activity time, white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage and visual analogue scale (VAS) score on the first postoperative day, white blood cell count and neutrophil percentage on the third postoperative day, duration of analgesic pump use, the number of voluntary compressions of the analgesic pump, and mediastinal drainage volume were all superior to those in the VATS group (P<0.05). The differences in VAS scores on the third postoperative day, duration of drainage tube retention and postoperative complication rates were not statistically different between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion RATS subxiphoid anterior mediastinum tumor resection is a safe and feasible surgical method with less injury and higher safety, which is conducive to rapid postoperative recovery and has wide clinical application prospects.
Objective To systematically evaluate the difference in clinical outcomes between subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SVATS) and intercostal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (IVATS) for anterior mediastinal tumor resection. Methods Online databases including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Sinomed, CNKI, Wanfang from inception to December 19, 2022 were searched by two researchers independently for literature comparing the clinical efficacy of SVATS and IVATS in treating anterior mediastinal tumors. Two researchers independently screened literature and extracted relevant data. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3. ResultsA total of 12 studies with 1 517 patients were enrolled. NOS score≥6 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the IVATS, SVATS had less blood loss (MD=−17.76, 95%CI −34.21 to −1.31, P=0.030), less total postoperative drainage volume (MD=−70.46, 95%CI −118.88 to −22.03, P=0.004), shorter duration of postoperative drainage tube retention (MD=−0.84, 95%CI −1.57 to −0.10, P=0.030), lower rate of postoperative lung infections (OR=0.33, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.70, P=0.004), lower postoperative 24 h VAS pain score (MD=−1.95, 95%CI −2.64 to −1.25, P＜0.001) and 72 h VAS pain score (MD=−1.76, 95%CI −2.55 to −0.97, P＜0.001), and shorter postoperative hospital stay (MD=−1.12, 95%CI −1.80 to −0.45, P=0.001). There was no statistical difference in the operation time, the incidence of postoperative complications, incidence of postoperative phrenic nerve palsy or incidence of postoperative arrhythmia (P＞0.05). ConclusionSVATS for the treatment of anterior mediastinal tumors has high safety. Compared with the IVATS, the patients have less intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume, lower risk of postoperative pulmonary infection, less postoperative short-term pain, and shorter postoperative catheter duration and hospital stay, which is more conducive to rapid postoperative recovery.