Background Pain control after thoracotomy prevents postsurgical complications and improves respiratory function. The gold standard for post-thoracotomy analgesia is the epidural catheter. The aim of ...this study was to compare it with a new technique that involves placement of a catheter in the paravertebral space at the end of surgery under a surgeon's direct vision. Methods From November 2011 to June 2012, 52 patients were randomized into 2 groups depending on catheter placement: an epidural catheter for group A and a paravertebral catheter for group B. At 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery, the following parameters were recorded: (1) pain control using the patient's completion of a visual analog scale module, (2) respiratory function using forced expiratory volume in 1 second and ambient air saturation, and (3) blood cortisol values as an index of systemic reaction to pain. Results Statistically significant differences ( P < .05) were found in favor of group B for both cough and rest pain control ( P = .002 and .002, respectively) and respiratory function in terms of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and ambient air saturation levels ( P = .023 and .001, respectively). No statistically significant differences were found in blood cortisol trends between the 2 groups ( P > .05). Collateral effects such as vomiting, nausea, low pressure, or urinary retention were observed only in group A. No collateral effects were recorded in the paravertebral group. Conclusions According to our data, drugs administered through a paravertebral catheter are very effective. Moreover, it does not present contraindications to its positioning or collateral effects. More studies are necessary to confirm data we collected.
INTRODUZIONE: la mobilizzazione è fondamentale per ridurre le complicanze postoperatorie. In letteratura non esistono criteri precisi per quanto riguarda i tempi di mobilizzazione e la postura dopo ...la toracoscopia. Questo studio mira a confrontare gli effetti della mobilizzazione precoce (entro le prime 6 ore dopo l'intervento chirurgico) in posizione di Fowler e la posizione supina per le prime 24 ore.
METODI: studio sperimentale a due bracci, in aperto con arruolamento di 28 pazienti sottoposti a toracoscopia. I soggetti sono stati assegnati in modo casuale alla mobilizzazione in posizione di Fowler entro 45 minuti dopo l'intervento chirurgico fino a 6 ore (gruppo di studio) o per mantenere la posizione supina fino al primo giorno postoperatorio. La variabile dipendente studiata era il volume espiratorio massimo nel 1° secondo (FEV1) dopo 6 e 24 ore dall'intervento chirurgico. La radiografia del torace è stata eseguita subito dopo l'intervento chirurgico e il primo giorno postoperatorio.
RISULTATI: i casi di atelettasia nel gruppo di studio sono diminuiti dal 53.3% al 20.0% (gruppo di controllo: dal 69.2% al 46.2%). Il FEV1 ha mostrato un miglioramento statisticamente significativo nel gruppo di studio sia dopo 6 che dopo 24 ore dall'intervento chirurgico (p<.001).
CONCLUSIONI: la mobilizzazione precoce nella posizione di Fowler sembra migliorare i risultati respiratori riducendo gli episodi di atelettasia; si traduce anche in un miglioramento clinicamente rilevante del FEV1 rispetto alla posizione supina. I risultati attuali devono essere confermati su campioni ampi e stratificati.
Technological development in the field of robotics has meant that, in recent years, more and more thoracic surgery departments have adopted this type of approach at the expense of VATS, and today ...robotic surgery boasts numerous applications in malignant and benign thoracic pathology. Because autonomic nervous system surgery is a high-precision surgery, it is conceivable that the application of RATS could lead to improved outcomes and reduced side effects, but its feasibility has not yet been thoroughly studied. This review identified three main areas of application: (1) standard thoracic sympathectomy, (2) selective procedures, and (3) nerve reconstruction. Regarding standard sympathectomy and its usual areas of application, such as the management of hyperhidrosis and some cardiac and vascular conditions, the use of RATS is almost anecdotal. Instead, its impact can be decisive if we consider selective techniques such as ramicotomy, optimizing selective surgery of the communicating gray branches, which appears to reduce the incidence of compensatory sweating only when performed with the utmost care. Regarding sympathetic nerve reconstruction, there are several studies, although not conclusive, that point to it as a possible solution to reverse surgical nerve interruption. In conclusion, the characteristics of RATS might make it preferable to other techniques and, particularly, VATS, but to date, the data in the literature are too weak to draw any evidence.
Surgery is considered the best choice for stage I non-small cell lung cancer and also in treatment of selected patients with lung metastasis. However, surgery is often a high-risk procedure because ...of severe medical comorbidities affecting this cohort of patients. Thermal ablation (TA) has recently been proposed to achieve destruction of lung tumours whilst avoiding the use of general anaesthesia, thereby limiting the invasiveness of the procedure. For pulmonary malignancies, there are two methods of TA based on tissue heating: radio frequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA). Both are mini-invasive procedures, delivering energy to the tumour through single or multiple percutaneous needles introduced under guidance of computed tomography. The procedure may be performed under conscious sedation or general anaesthesia to avoid pain caused by needle insertion and tissue heating. Local efficacy is directly correlated to tumour target size: for RFA, tumours smaller than 2 cm can be completed ablated in 78-96% of cases; for MWA-according to the largest available study-95% of initial ablations are reported to be successful for tumours smaller than 5 cm. Very few series provide survival data beyond 3 years. For nodules smaller than 3 cm, the registered survival rate is higher: 50% at five years. The data collected in the last 10 years allow us to conclude that TA is an established alternative treatment for patients who cannot undergo surgery because of their compromised general condition. In the case of pulmonary metastasis, most authors agree to offer TA only if lesions are smaller than 5 cm.
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells presenting extensive self-renewal features and the ability to differentiate "in vitro" and "in vivo" into a range of lineage cells, like chondrogenic, osteogenic ...and adipogenic lineages when cultured in specific inducing media. Two major domains of clinical applications of stem cells in thoracic surgery have been investigated: regenerative medicine, which is a section of translational research in tissue engineering focusing on the replacement, renewal or regeneration of cells, tissues and organs to re-establish damaged physiologic functions; drug loading and delivery, representing a new branch proposing stem cells as carriers to provide selected districts with anti-cancer agents for targeted treatments.
Colorectal cancer is the third-most-diagnosed cancer in males and in females, representing 8% of estimated new cases, and the third cause of cancer-related death in both sexes, accounting for 9% of ...cancer deaths in men and 8% in women. About 20% of patients diagnosed with CRC present metastatic disease. Although lung metachronous or synchronous metastatic spread without other involved sites has been reported in only a small proportion of patients, considering that this tumor is frequently diagnosed, the clinical approach to CRC pulmonary metastases represents a major issue for thoracic surgeons and CRC oncologists. Among patients diagnosed with pulmonary metastases from CRC, about 9-12% are eligible for local treatments with radical intent, including surgical resection, SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy) and ablation therapy. Due to the lack of randomized controlled trials among different local strategies, there is no definitive evidence about the optimal approach, although surgical resection is considered the most effective therapeutic option in this clinical scenario. Oncological achievement of primary radical resection, the biology of primary tumor and metastatic sites, disease free interval and or progression free survival are independent prognostic factors which make it possible to define a cohort of patients which might significantly benefit from pulmonary metastasectomy.
Pulmonary oligo-metastases and oligo-recurrences are terms used to define a set of clinical conditions consisting of limited metastatic malignant disease characterized by an intermediate aggressive ...behavior compared to diffuse metastatic conditions. If the primary tumor has been controlled and extra-thoracic lesions are excluded, there is a suggestion in the medical literature that removal of such lesions could potentially prolong survival. The lungs are a common metastatic spreading site, especially from epithelial malignancies and sarcomas; pulmonary surgical or interventional metastasectomy have been proposed with curative intent in case of limited tumor load (usually less than 5 lesions). There are many series reporting data about colorectal, renal or breast lung metastasectomy, but the absence of multi centric prospective trials determines a lack of definitive evidence, especially for less common tumors such as metastatic germ cell and prostate cancer. They rarely present in the oligo-metastatic form and their management is often based on personal experience. The aim of our article is to review the latest evidence in the treatment of pulmonary metastatic germ cell and prostate tumors. We cover the full range of treatments: from surgery to ablative radiotherapy and combination of local and systemic therapy. Despite the absence of evidence based guidelines, it emerges that pulmonary metastasectomy should always be considered when general criteria for resection have been met. In germ cell tumors surgery should be mainly reserved for residual disease after chemotherapy, whereas in prostate cancer, pulmonary metastasectomy should be preferred to avoid or delay hormonal deprivation therapy and its side effects.
When and how should surgeons treat subsolid nodule? Baisi, Alessandro, MD; Raveglia, Federico, MD; Cioffi, Ugo, MD, PhD
The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery,
07/2017, Letnik:
154, Številka:
1
Journal Article
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