Abstract Objective To investigate the impact of preoperative identification of the Adamkiewicz artery (AKA) on prevention of spinal cord injury (SCI) through the multicenter Japanese Study of Spinal ...Cord Protection in Descending and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Repair (JASPAR) registry. Methods Between January 2000 and October 2011, 2435 descending/thoracoabdominal aortic repairs were performed, including 1998 elective repairs and 437 urgent repairs, in 14 major centers in Japan. The mean patient age was 67 ± 13 years, and 74.2% were males. There were 1471 open repairs (ORs), including 748 descending and 137 thoracoabdominal extent Ex I, 136 Ex II, 194 Ex III, 115 Ex IV, and 138 Ex V, and 964 endovascular repairs (EVRs). Of the 2435 patients, 1252 (51%) underwent preoperative magnetic resonance or computed tomography angiography to identify the AKA. Results The AKA was identified in 1096 of the 1252 patients who underwent preoperative imaging (87.6%). Hospital mortality was 9.2% (n = 136) in those who underwent OR and 6.4% (n = 62) in those who underwent EVR. The incidence of SCI was 7.3% in the OR group (descending, 4.2%; Ex I, 9.4%; Ex II, 14.0%; Ex III, 14.4%; Ex IV, 4.2 %; Ex V, 7.2%) and 2.9% in the EVR group. The risk factors for SCI in ORs were advanced age, extended repair, emergency, and occluded bilateral hypogastric arteries. In ORs of the aortic segment involving the AKA, having no AKA reconstruction was a significant risk factor for SCI (odds ratio, 2.79, 95% confidence interval, 1.14-6.79; P = .024). Conclusions In descending/thoracoabdominal aortic repairs, preoperative AKA identification with its adequate reconstruction or preservation, especially, in ORs of aortic pathologies involving the AKA, would be a useful adjunct for more secure spinal cord protection.
Background Preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules is sometimes necessary when they are too small or distant from the surface of the visceral pleura to be detected during video-assisted ...thoracoscopic surgery. This study aims to present the criteria for localization and to evaluate the accuracy of the criteria. Methods From April 2001 to March 2008, 178 patients with 224 nodules who underwent wedge resection of pulmonary metastatic nodules by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery were reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-one patients (17.4%) including 35 nodules underwent thoracoscopic resection immediately after computed tomography–guided localization using hook wires. Criteria for preoperative localization were (1) maximum diameter of the nodule of 5 mm or less, (2) maximum diameter to minimum distance between the visceral pleura and inferior border of nodule of 0.5 or less, and (3) nodule with low-density image by computed tomography after chemotherapy. The accuracy of these inclusion criteria was statistically evaluated. Results All 224 nodules were removed by wedge resection or additional segmentectomy. Nineteen nodules (54.3%) were detected in the thoracic cavity with preoperative localization. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 11.1%, 99.5%, 66.7%, and 92.8%; 88.9%, 93.2%, 53.3%, and 99.0%; and 88.9%, 90.8%, 45.7%, and 98.9% in each preoperative finding of which a nodule met all (3 nodules), two or more (30 nodules), and one or more (35 nodules) of the three criteria, respectively. Conclusions This study suggests that preoperative localization should be considered before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery operation if the pulmonary nodule meets two or more of our criteria.
Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the implication of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on the surgical treatment for primary lung cancer. Methods Between January 1994 and June 2006, ...870 patients with primary lung cancer were surgically treated. Fifty-six (6.4%) of 870 patients had complications with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and their data were retrospectively reviewed. There were 50 men and 6 women with an average age of 68 years. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma was 28 (50.0%). Surgical procedures consisted of 7 wedge resections of the lung, 5 segmentectomies, 43 lobectomies, and 1 bilobectomy. Results Surgery-related hospital mortality was higher in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis than in patients without (7.1% vs 1.9%; P = .030). Four (7.1%) of these 56 patients had acute postoperative exacerbation of pulmonary fibrosis and died because of this complication. No factors such as pulmonary function, serologic data, operative data, and histopathologic data were considered predictive risk factors for the acute exacerbation. The postoperative 5-year survival for pathologic stage I lung cancer was 61.6% for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 83.0% for patients without ( P = .019). The causes of late death were the recurrence of cancer or respiratory failure owing to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions Although idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis causes high mortality after pulmonary resection for lung cancer and poor long-term survival, long-term survival is possible in patients with these two fatal diseases. Therefore, in selected patients, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may not be a contraindication to pulmonary resection for stage I lung cancer.
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility and safety of several improved criteria to avoid chest tube placement after thoracoscopic wedge resection of the lung.
Methods
From ...2000 to 2009, 333 patients who underwent thoracoscopic wedge resections of the lung were reviewed. The patients were classified into two groups: (1) the no chest tube group (NCT), consisting of 132 patients in whom chest tubes were not placed because no air leakage or bleeding during intraoperative alternative sealing test was confirmed, and (2) the chest tube placement (CTP) group, consisting of 201 patients in whom chest tubes were placed because the criteria for the nonplacement of a chest tube were not met. The clinical data and postoperative morbidity were assessed between the two groups.
Results
The number of specimens (1.3 vs 1.5) and the endostapler cartridges used (2.5 vs 3.3), and the duration of the postoperative hospital stay (4.6 vs 6.7 days) in the NCT group were significantly lower than in the CTP group. One patient from the NCT group required chest tube insertion due to the development of late pneumothorax. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups.
Conclusions
Our improved criteria are therefore considered to positively contribute to a safe and definite clinical decision regarding postoperative patient management.
Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a recently recognized connective tissue disorder caused by mutations of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β receptors. It is an autosomal dominant syndrome ...characterized by the triad of arterial tortuosity and aneurysms, hypertelorism, and bifid uvula or cleft palate. We treated an 18-year-old woman with a 100-mm-diameter aortic root aneurysm and severe aortic valve regurgitation. She underwent urgent aortic root replacement and bioprosthetic valve implantation. LDS was diagnosed by postoperative genetic screening results. Histopathologic examination of the aortic wall showed diffuse degeneration and elastin fragmentation in the media.
Decellularized tissues have attracted a great deal of attention as regenerating transplantation materials. A decellularizing method based on high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been developed, and ...the preparation of many types of decellularized tissues has been investigated, including aorta, cornea, and dermis. The preparation of a small-diameter vascular graft was studied using a carotid artery from the viewpoint of collagen denaturation and leakage. After HHP, the carotid artery was washed at two washing temperatures (37 and 4°C). Histological evaluation, collagen content measurement and circular dichroism (CD) measurement indicated that the washing temperatures clearly affected the collagen structure of the decellularized carotid artery. The amount of collagen decreased in the carotid artery decellularized by HHP washed at 37°C (HHP/37°C). On the other hand, the amount and structure of collagen were preserved in the carotid artery washed at 4°C after HHP (HHP/4°C). In rat carotid artery syngeneic transplantation, the HHP/37°C decellularized carotid artery occluded after 2 weeks, but the HHP/4°C decellularized one did not. These results indicate that collagen denaturation and leakage of the decellularized carotid artery affect the in vivo performance of the carotid artery.
Objective: It remains controversial whether video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) major pulmonary resection (VMPR) with systematic node dissection (SND) is a feasible approach for clinical N0 ...and pathological N2 non-small cell lung cancer (cN0-pN2 NSCLC). We compared the clinical outcome of patients who underwent VMPR with SND for cN0-pN2 NSCLC with the outcome of patients who underwent MPR with SND by thoracotomy. We conducted this study to determine the feasibility of VMPR for cN0 and pN2 NSCLC patients and intraoperative node staging by node sampling. Methods: Between 1997 and 2006, 770 patients underwent MPR with SND for NSCLC, wherein 450 patients had VMPR and 320 were subjected to open thoracotomy. There were 673 clinical N0 patients. Among them, we retrospectively reviewed 69 patients (10.3%) with cN0-pN2 NSCLC of which the greatest tumor dimension ranged from 20 to 50 mm. These patients were divided into two groups: 37 patients under group V, who underwent VMPR, and 32 patients under group T, who underwent MPR by thoracotomy, for cN0-pN2 NSCLC. The majority of the patients underwent postoperative chemotherapy. Results: There were no differences between the two groups regarding preoperative data or the number of nodes dissected. The rate of nodal metastasis (number of metastatic nodes/number of dissected nodes) was similar between the two groups (group V vs group T, 0.24 vs 0.24 in total nodes dissected, 0.24 vs 0.23 in mediastinal nodes dissected). The 3-year and 5-year recurrence-free survivals were similar (60.9% vs 49.6% and 60.9% vs 49.6%), as well. Most of the pattern of recurrence was due to remote metastasis. In like manner, the 3-year and 5-year survivals were similar (67.6% vs 57.7% and 45.4% vs 41.1%). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that VMPR with SND is a feasible surgical therapy for cN0-pN2 NSCLC without loss of curability. It is unnecessary to convert the VATS approach to thoracotomy in order to do SND even if pN2 disease is revealed during VMPR.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is defined as a specific form of chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause. IPF is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, ...and lung cancer patients with IPF undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer have increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Especially, postoperative acute exacerbation of IPF (AEIPF) causes fatal status and long-term outcomes are worse than for patients without IPF, although certain subgroups have a good long-term outcome. A comprehensive review of the current literature pertaining to AEIPF and the late phase outcome after the context of a surgical intervention was performed.
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