The aim of this study was to assess the impact of BMI on perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy. Data from 5088 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or ...segmentectomy, included in the VATS Group Italian Registry, were collected. BMI (kg/m2) was categorized according to the WHO classes: underweight, normal, overweight, obese. The effects of BMI on outcomes (complications, 30-days mortality, DFS and OS) were evaluated with a linear regression model, and with a logistic regression model for binary endpoints. In overweight and obese patients, operative time increased with BMI value. Operating room time increased by 5.54 minutes (S.E. = 1.57) in overweight patients, and 33.12 minutes (S.E. = 10.26) in obese patients (P < 0.001). Compared to the other BMI classes, overweight patients were at the lowest risk of pulmonary, acute cardiac, surgical, major, and overall postoperative complications. In the overweight range, a BMI increase from 25 to 29.9 did not significantly affect the length of stay, nor the risk of any complications, except for renal complications (OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.07–2.24; P = 0.03), and it reduced the risk of prolonged air leak (OR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.71–0.90; P < 0.001). 30-days mortality is higher in the underweight group compared to the others. We did not find any significant difference in DFS and OS. According to our results, obesity increases operating room time for VATS major lung resection. Overweight patients are at the lowest risk of pulmonary, acute cardiac, surgical, major, and overall postoperative complications following VATS resections. The risk of most postoperative complications progressively increases as the BMI deviates from the point at the lowest risk, towards both extremes of BMI values. Thirty days mortality is higher in the underweight group, with no differences in DFS and OS.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Inherent technical aspects of pulmonary lobectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) may limit surgeons’ ability to deal with factors predisposing to complications. We ...analysed complication rates after VATS lobectomy in a prospectively maintained nationwide registry.
METHODS
The registry was queried for all consecutive VATS lobectomy procedures from 49 Italian Thoracic Units. Baseline condition, tumour features, surgical techniques, devices, postoperative care, complications, conversions and the reasons thereof were detailed. Univariable and multivariable regressions were used to assess factors potentially linked to complications.
RESULTS
Four thousand one hundred and ninety-one VATS lobectomies in 4156 patients (2480 men, 1676 women) were analysed. The median age-adjusted Charlson index of the patients was 4 (interquartile range 3–6). Grade 1 and 2 and Grade 3–5 complications were observed in 20.1% and in 5.8%, respectively. Ninety-day mortality was 0.55%. The overall conversion rate was 9.2% and significantly higher in low-volume centres (<100 cases, P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between intermediate- and high-volume centres under this aspect. Low-volume centres were significantly more likely to convert due to issues with difficult local anatomy, but not significantly so for bleeding. Conversion, lower case-volume, comorbidity burden, male gender, adhesions, blood loss, operative time, sealants and epidural analgesia were significantly associated with increased postoperative morbidity.
CONCLUSIONS
VATS lobectomy is a safe procedure even in medically compromised patients. An improved classification system for conversions is proposed and prevention strategies are suggested to reduce conversion rates and possibly complications in less-experienced centres.
BackgroundPersistent air leak and the management of intraoperative blood loss are common threats in thoracic surgical practice. The availability of new procedures, technology and materials is ...constantly evolving topical hemostats and surgical sealants must be added to this toolkit. Topical hemostats and surgical sealants differ according to their chemical nature and physical characteristics, to their origin and mechanism of action, regulatory/registration and vigilance paths. A Delphi consensus was set to highlight the different points of view on the use of topical haemostatic products and sealants among the members of Italian Society of thoracic surgery. MethodsThe board was formed by a group of five Italian experts; in the first phase after a careful review of the scientific literature and two rounds, the board finally generated 16 consensus statements for testing across a wider audience. During the second phase, the statements were collated into a questionnaire, which was electronically sent to a panel of 46 Italian surgeons, experts in the field. ResultsOut of 46 Italian surgeons, 33 (72%) panel members responded to the Delphi questionnaire. All the items reached a positive consensus, with elevated levels of agreement, as demonstrated by the presence of a 100% consensus for nine items. For the remaining 7 statements the minimum level of consent was 88% (29 participants approved the statement and 4 disagreed) and the maximum was 97% (32 participants approved the statement and 1 was in disagreement). ConclusionsThe present Delphi analysis shows that air leak and intraoperative bleeding are clinical problems well known among thoracic surgeons. Nevertheless, the aim of the scientific societies and of the group of experts is to execute the education activities in the surgery community. This Delphi survey suggest the need of wider and updated scientific information about technical and registration characteristics of most recent technologic solutions, such as the of topical hemostats and surgical sealants to provide healthcare and administrative staff with the opportunity to work and interact through a common and shared language and eventually to guarantee minimal requirements of assistance.
A partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) is a rare congenital defect in which at least one pulmonary vein doesn't drain into the left atrium but into a systemic vein or even into the ...right atrium, causing a left-to right shunt. PAPVC with a small amount of shunt are usually asymptomatic, and can not be detected during lifetime. Nevertheless, if those patients undergo a major lung resection, the surgical procedure could precipitate right heart failure if this anomalous shunt remains uncorrected. Therefore, it is considered to be very important preoperative diagnosis. In case report, we present a case of a 54-year-old woman with a right upper lobe non-small cell lung cancer and previous history of left lung resection for tuberculosis. During surgery, an anomalous pulmonary vein branch draining into the superior vena cava was incidentally detected. The abnormality was diagnosed as a PAPVC. A right upper open lobectomy was performed. The anomaly was corrected and the surgery was successful without postoperative complications. Surgeons should be aware of this rare anomaly and carefully evaluate preoperative images CT scans of the pulmonary veins.
Abstract
The hypothesis to use microRNAs (miRNAs) circulating in blood as cancer biomarkers was formulated some years ago based on promising initial results. After some exiting discoveries, however, ...it became evident that the accurate quantification of cell-free miRNAs (i.e. that retrieved in serum or plasma) was more challenging than expected. Difficulties were linked to the strong impact that many, if not all, pre- and post- analytical variables (i.e. tissue preparation, storage condition, extraction method, quantification technique, normalization approach) have on the final result.
In this study, we used currently available high-throughput technologies to identify miRNAs present in plasma and serum of patients with breast, colorectal, lung and melanoma tumors, and healthy controls. Then, we used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technology to get an accurate absolute quantification of specific cell-free miRNAs. We assessed the level of 8 different miRNAs (miR-320a, miR-21-5p, miR-378a-3p, miR-181a-5p, miR-3156-5p, miR-2110, miR-125a-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-766-3p) in 180 samples from healthy controls and cancer patients. We identified miRNAs specifically modulated in one or more cancer types. Plasma and serum from the same patient provided different results in terms of absolute miRNA amount and modulation. The significant reduction of miR-181a-5p levels in serum of breast cancer patients was further validated using two independent cohorts, one from Italy (n = 70) and one from US (n = 90). This study finally powers the use miR-181a-5p as a breast cancer biomarker.
Citation Format: Manuela Ferracin, Laura Lupini, Irene Salamon, Elena Saccenti, Barabara Zagatti, Alessandra Mangolini, Maria Vittoria Zanzi, Paolo Carcoforo, Andrea Rocchi, Giorgio Cavallesco, Antonio Frassoldati, Alan B. Hollingsworth, Massimo Negrini. How to fish a good micro-marker out from a worthless lake: The case of cell-free miR-181a-5p and breast cancer. abstract. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3964. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3964
Thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS-L) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a well-established option for early stage NSCLC, but the evidences are limited for octogenarians.
The objectives of this ...multi-institutional study were to evaluate the post-operative outcomes of VATS-L in octogenarians and to estimate the post-operative quality of life (QoL) using a validated questionnaire (EuroQoL5D).
Data from patients underwent VATS-L between 2014 and 2019 were analysed and divided into two groups: Group A (younger patients) and Group B (octogenarians). To define predictors for complications, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed.
7023 patients underwent VATS-L and 329 (4.6%) were octogenarians. 30-day and 90-day post-operative mortality were similar (0.95% vs 0.91%, p = 0.84 and 1.3% vs 1.2%, p = 0.58), whereas the percentage of patients who suffered from any complication (25.5% vs 31.9%, p = 0.012) and the complication rate (31.6% vs 45.2%, p=<0.01) were higher for octogenarians. At discharge, the values of EuroQoL5D were worse in group B, but after one month these levels became similar. Age >80 years had a significant influence on morbidity on both univariate and multivariable analyses (p = 0.025).
VATS-L for NSCLC can be performed in selected octogenarians without increased risk of post-operative death, acceptable not-life-threatening complications and a moderate impact on QoL.
•What are the outcomes thoracoscopic lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer?•What is the impact of VATS-lobectomy on Quality of Life (QoL) in octogenarian patients?•Post-operative complications were significantly more frequent, but not life-threatening.•Levels of QoL were worse for elderly patients, but after a month these levels became similar.•VATS-lobectomy can be safely performed in selected octogenarians, without worsening their QoL.
The Italian VATS Group database was accessed to evaluate whether preoperative and intraoperative factors may affect the safety of lymphadenectomy (LA) during video-assisted thoracic surgery ...lobectomy.
All video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy procedures performed between 1 January 2014 and 30 March 2017 for non-small-cell lung cancer with cN0 or cN1 disease were identified in the database. LA safety was evaluated based on intraoperative (operative time, bleeding and conversion rate) and postoperative (30-day morbidity and mortality, chest drain duration and length of stay) outcomes and was correlated with the number of resected lymph nodes and the rates of nodal upstaging. Continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation and compared using the unpaired t-test; the χ2 test was used for categorical variables. Univariable analysis was performed on selected variables. Significant variables (P < 0.30) were entered into a Cox multivariable logistic regression model, using the overall and specific occurrence of complications as dependent variables. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was applied as needed.
A total of 3181 cases (2077 men, 65.3%; mean age of 69 years) met the enrolment criteria. Final pathology was consistent with adenocarcinoma (n = 2262, 67.5%), squamous cell (n = 520, 15.5%), typical (n = 184, 5.5%) and atypical carcinoid (n = 48, 1.4%) and other (n = 335, 10%). The mean number of resected lymph nodes was 13.42 ± 8.24; nodal upstaging occurred in 308 of 3181 (9.68%) cases. Six hundred and fifty-five complications were recorded in 404 (12.7%) patients; in this series, no mortality was observed. Univariable and multivariable analyses did not show any association between the extension of LA and intraoperative or postoperative outcomes. The number of resected lymph nodes and nodal upstagings showed a minimal correlation with intraoperative outcomes and a moderate correlation with postoperative air leak (ρ = 0.35 and ρ = 0.48, respectively), arrhythmia (ρ = 0.29 and ρ = 0.35, respectively), chest drain duration (ρ = 0.35 and ρ = 0.51, respectively) and length of stay (ρ = 0.35).
Based on the VATS Group data, video-assisted thoracic surgery LA proved to be safe and displayed good outcomes even when performed with an extended approach.
Improving the quality of lung cancer care at a cost that can be sustained is a hotly debated issue. High-risk, low-volume procedures (such as lung resections) are believed to improve significantly ...when centralised in high-volume centres. However, limited evidence exists to support volume requirements in lung cancer surgery. On the other hand, there was no evidence that the number of lung resections affected either the short-term perioperative results or the long-term cost. Using data from an extensive nationwide registry, this study investigated the correlations between surgical volumes and selected perioperative outcomes. A retrospective analysis of a prospectively filled national registry that follows stringent quality assurance and security procedures was conducted to ensure data accuracy and security. Patients who underwent VATS lobectomy from 2014 to 2019 at the participating centres were included. Selected perioperative outcomes were reported. Total direct hospital cost is measured at discharge for hospitalisations with a primary diagnosis of lung cancer, hospital stay costs, and postoperative length of hospital stay after lobectomy. After the propensity score matched, centres were divided into three groups according to the surgical volume of the unit where VATS lobectomies were performed (high-volume centre: > 500 lobectomies; medium-volume centre: 200-500 lobectomies; low-volume centre: < 200 lobectomies). 11,347 patients were included and matched (low-volume center = 2890; medium-volume center = 3147; high-volume center = 2907). The mean operative time density plot (Fig. 1A) showed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.67). In contrast, the density plot of the harvested lymph nodes (Fig. 1B) showed significantly higher values in the high-volume centres (p = 0.045), albeit without being clinically significant. The adjusted rates of any and significant complications were higher in the low-volume centre (p = 0.034) without significantly affecting the length of hospital stay (p = 0.57). VATS lobectomies for lung cancer in higher-volume centres seem associated with a statistically significantly higher number of harvested lymph nodes and lower perioperative complications, yet without any significant impact in terms of costs and resource consumption. These findings may advise the investigation of the learning curve effect in a complete economic evaluation of VATS lobectomy in lung cancer. Fig. 1 The mean operative time density plot showed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.67).
Tufted Angiomas, also known as angioblastomas/Angioblastoma of Nagakawa, are rare vascular neoplasms of both sexes localised to the skin and subcutaneous tissues with the upper trunk and neck being ...the most common sites. They are more common in children but a few cases in juveniles and adults have been reported. Typically, Tufted Angioma remains stable or can show rarely a spontaneous regression. This article wants to evaluate the efficacy of current treatment modalities for tufted angioma (TA). A review was performed using PubMed database (Medline) for clinical studies. We report our case, a 29-year-old female who presented with a second finger of the left hand, painful, slowly progressive, firm swelling diagnosed as Tufted Angioma on histopathology and immunohistochemistry after complete surgical excision.
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