The rate of sublobar resection (SLR) for early-stage non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is increasing, mainly because of a growing rate of early-stage lung carcinomas and ground-glass opacities. ...More and more SLRs are now performed by a thoracoscopic, a video-assisted or a robotically-assisted approach. Although surgeons are performing pulmonary segmentectomies for years, they need a better understanding of anatomy when using a closed chest approach, because vision is more limited and they cannot stretch and expose the parenchyma and broncho-vascular elements. In this article, we will describe most of the significant anatomical variations we have encountered during a consecutive series of 390 full thoracoscopic segmentectomies, either at surgery or preoperatively by studying the 3-dimensional (3D) modelisation.
Lobectomies using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) are becoming more and more accepted since several recent studies have demonstrated their safety and efficacy for stage I lung cancer. ...However, "video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy" usually means that a utility incision or a mini-thoracotomy is used for insertion of conventional instruments. We use a totally endoscopic approach in which only endoscopic instruments and video display are used. On the basis of our preliminary experience of 81 cases with this approach, we present some technical details that are important for a successful endoscopic procedure.
OBJECTIVES
A multicentre evaluation of the frequency and nature of major intraoperative complications during video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) anatomical resections.
METHODS
Six European centres ...submitted their series of consecutive anatomical lung resections with the intention to treat by VATS. Conversions to thoracotomy, vascular injuries and major intraoperative complications were studied in relation to surgeons' experience. Major complications included immediate life-threatening complications (i.e. blood loss of more than 2 l), injury to proximal airway or other organs or those leading to unplanned additional anatomical resections. All cases were discussed by a panel and recommendations were drafted.
RESULTS
A total of 3076 patients were registered. Most resections (90%, n = 2763) were performed for bronchial carcinoma. There were 3 intraoperative deaths, including 1 after conversion for technical reasons. In-hospital mortality was 1.4% (n = 43). Conversion to open thoracotomy was observed in 5.5% (n = 170), of whom 21.8% (n = 37) were for oncological reasons, 29.4% (n = 50) for technical reasons and 48.8% (n = 83) for complications. Vascular injuries were reported in 2.9% (n = 88) patients and led to conversion in 2.2% (n = 70). In 1.5% (n = 46), major intraoperative complications were identified. These consisted of erroneous transection of bronchovascular structures (n = 9); injuries to gastrointestinal organs (n = 5) or proximal airway (n = 6); complications requiring additional unplanned major surgery (n = 9) or immediate life-threatening complications (n = 17). Twenty-three percent of the in-hospital mortalities (n = 10/43) were related to major intraoperative complications. Eight pneumonectomies (five intraoperative and three postoperative at 0.3%) were a consequence of a major complication. Surgeon's experience was related to non-oncological conversions, but not to vascular injuries or major complications in a multivariable logistic regression analysis.
CONCLUSION
Major intraoperative complications during VATS anatomical lung resections are infrequent, seem not to be related to surgical experience but have an important impact on patient outcome. Constant awareness and a structured plan of action are of paramount importance to prevent them.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Evaluating morbidity and survival of patients operated on for a second primary non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
METHODS
Retrospective collection of data from patients ...operated on for a second NSCLC between 2009 and 2018.
RESULTS
Fifty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. At the time of second pulmonary resection, the median time between the 2 surgeries was 25 months (5–44.5 months). Patients’ median age was 65 years (61–68 years). Median tumour size was 16 mm (10–22 mm). Thoracoscopy was used in 75% of cases. The resection was a pneumonectomy (n = 1), bilobectomy (n = 1), lobectomy (n = 15), segmentectomy (n = 32) or wedge resection (n = 3). The length of stay was 7 days (5–9 days). Mortality was null and morbidity was 36.5%, mainly from grade I–II complications according to the Clavien–Dindo classification. The median follow-up was 28 months (13–50 months). The median overall survival was 67 months (95% confidence interval 60.8–73.1 months). Survival at 5 years and specific survival were 71.1% and 67.7%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
A second surgical resection of either synchronous or metachronous NSCLC has a morbidity that is not superior to the morbidity of the first operation. The new tumour is usually diagnosed at an early stage. An anatomical sublobar resection is most likely the best compromise. It might also be considered for the first operation when there is a suspicious synchronous lesion that may require surgery at a later stage.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has recently become the recommended approach for stage I non-small cell lung cancer. However, these guidelines are not based on any large ...randomized control trial. Our study used propensity scores and a sensitivity analysis to compare VATS lobectomy with open thoracotomy.
From 2005 to 2012, 24,811 patients (95.1%) were operated on by open thoracotomy and 1,278 (4.9%) by VATS. The end points were 30-day postoperative death, postoperative complications, hospital stay, overall survival, and disease-free survival. Two propensity scores analyses were performed: matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting, and one sensitivity analysis to unmask potential hidden bias. A subgroup analysis was performed to compare "high-risk" with "low-risk" patients. Results are reported by odds ratios or hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals.
Postoperative death was not significantly reduced by VATS whatever the analysis. Concerning postoperative complications, VATS significantly decreased the occurrence of atelectasis and pneumopathy with both analysis methods, but there were no differences in the occurrence of other postoperative complications. VATS did not provide a benefit for high-risk patients. The VATS approach decreased the hospital length of stay from 2.4 days (95% confidence interval, -1.7 to -3 days) to -4.68 days (95% confidence interval, -8.5 to 0.9 days). Overall survival and disease-free survival were not influenced by the surgical approach. The sensitivity analysis showed potential biases.
The results must be interpreted carefully because of the differences observed according to the propensity scores method used. A multicenter randomized controlled trial is necessary to limit the biases.
Although video-assisted metastasectomy has been proposed for some solitary metastases, its value has not been investigated in patients with pulmonary metastases from sarcoma for which open resection ...remains the usual approach.
In all, 113 consecutive patients underwent curatively intended lung resection for metastases from sarcomas. Of these 113 patients, 31 were selected for a thoracoscopic wedge resection (group TS). These patients were compared with 29 patients operated on by thoracotomy but whose features could have made them possible candidates for a thoracoscopic resection (group TT). Follow-up was complete for all patients (mean follow-up, 34 months).
No mortality occurred. No morbidity was observed in group TT, and 1 complication occurred in group TS. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.7 days for group TS and 6.2 days for group TT (p < 0.0001). Overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were, respectively, 87.4%, 70.9%, and 52.5% in group TS, and 82.3%, 63.6%, and 34% in group TT (p = 0.20). Disease-free survival rates at 1 and 3 years were, respectively, 50.5% and 26.4% in group TS and 60% and 24.8% in group TT (p = 0.74). Local recurrence occurred in 1 patient in each group. Survival without a homolateral recurrence (i.e., in the operated lung) at 1 and 3 years was 66.7% and 44.4% in group TS and 83.5% and 45% in group TT, respectively (p = 0.54).
In selected patients with a maximum of two pulmonary nodules, thoracoscopic resections yield survival rates similar to open resections while being less invasive and preserving the patient's ability to undergo possible repeat operations.
The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the tumor microenvironment is associated with better clinical outcome in many cancers. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we have previously ...showed that a high density of B cells within TLS (TLS-B cells) is positively correlated with tumor antigen-specific antibody responses and increased intratumor CD4
T cell clonality. Here, we investigated the relationship between the presence of TLS-B cells and CD4
T cell profile in NSCLC patients. The expression of immune-related genes and proteins on B cells and CD4
T cells was analyzed according to their relationship to TLS-B density in a prospective cohort of 56 NSCLC patients. We observed that tumor-infiltrating T cells showed marked differences according to TLS-B cell presence, with higher percentages of naïve, central-memory, and activated CD4
T cells and lower percentages of both immune checkpoint (ICP)-expressing CD4
T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the TLS-B
tumors. A retrospective study of 538 untreated NSCLC patients showed that high TLS-B cell density was even able to counterbalance the deleterious impact of high Treg density on patient survival, and that TLS-B
Treg
patients had the best clinical outcomes. Overall, the correlation between the density of TLS-B
tumors with early differentiated, activated and non-regulatory CD4
T cell cells suggest that B cells may play a central role in determining protective T cell responses in NSCLC patients.
Immunotherapy has created a paradigm shift in the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), overcoming the therapeutic plateau previously achieved by systemic chemotherapy. There is ...growing interest in the utility of immunotherapy for patients with resectable NSCLC in the neoadjuvant setting. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide an overview of the existing evidence, with a focus on pathological and radiological response, perioperative clinical outcomes, and long-term survival.
A systematic review was conducted using electronic databases from their dates of inception to August 2021. Pooled data on pathological response, radiological response, and perioperative outcomes were meta-analyzed where possible.
Eighteen publications from sixteen studies were identified, involving 548 enrolled patients who underwent neoadjuvant immunotherapy, of whom 507 underwent surgery. Pathologically, 52% achieved a major pathological response, 24% a complete pathological response, and 20% reported a complete pathological response of both the primary lesion as well as the sampled lymph nodes. Radiologically, 84% of patients had stable disease or partial response. Mortality within 30 days was 0.6%, and morbidities were reported according to grade and frequency.
The present meta-analysis demonstrated that neoadjuvant immunotherapy was feasible and safe based on perioperative clinical data and completion rates of surgery within their intended timeframe. The pathological response after neoadjuvant immunotherapy was superior to historical data for patients who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, whilst surgical and treatment-related adverse events were comparable. The limitations of the study included the heterogenous treatment regimens, lack of long-term follow-up, variations in the reporting of potential prognostic factors, and potential publication bias.
Stapling is becoming the method of choice for dividing the intersegmental plane during thoracoscopic segmentectomies. The technique however is controversial as it can impair re-expansion of preserved ...segments. We have analyzed the morbidity and lung re-expansion on a series of 175 thoracoscopic segmentectomies.
A total of 175 patients underwent a thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy. Ten patients were excluded due to conversion into thoracotomy. There were 89 females (54%) and 76 males (46%). Mean age was 63 years (range, 18-83 years). Indications for segmentectomy were as follows: primary lung cancer (n=100, 61%), metastases (n=27, 16%), benign non-infectious lesions (n=20, 12%) and benign infectious lesions (n=18, 11%). The intersegmental plane was divided with an endostapler in all patients. Lung re-expansion assessment included chest roentgenograms at discharge and at one-month consultation.
The overall complication rate was 17%. There were 0.6% major complications and 16% minor complications. The average duration of drainage was 3 days (range, 1-13 days) and average length of stay was 5.7 days (range, 2-22 days). At discharge and at 1-month follow-up chest radiography, incomplete lung re-expansion was observed in 12 (7.4%) and 4 patients (2.8%) respectively. Patients who underwent upper lobe segmentectomy had significantly more incomplete re-expansion at discharge and at 1-month follow-up. On univariate analysis, mean drainage duration was significantly longer in patients who underwent upper segmentectomy (mean 3.7 days; range, 1-13) than those who underwent lower segmentectomy (mean 2.7 days; range, 1-5).
Although stapling of the intersegmental plane most likely slightly impairs lung re-expansion, clinical and radiological consequences are minimal.
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