Objective To share the clinical experience of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) anatomic basal segmentectomy by single-direction method. Methods The clinical data of 352 patients who underwent VATS anatomic basal segmentectomy in West China Hospital between April 2015 and April 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, including 96 males and 256 females with a median age of 50 (range, 26-81) years. All basal segmentectomies were performed under thoracoscopy, through the interlobar fissure or inferior pulmonary ligament approach, and following the strategy of single-direction and the method of "stem-branch". ResultsAll patients underwent basal segmentectomy successfully (49 patients of uniportal procedure, 3 patients of biportal procedure and 300 patients of triportal procedure) without addition of incisions or conversion to thoracotomy and lobectomy. The median operation time was 118 (range, 45-340) min, median intraoperative blood loss was 20 (range, 5-500) mL, median drainage time was 2 (range, 1-22) d and median postoperative hospital stay was 4 (range, 2-24) d. The postoperative complications included pneumonia in 6 patients, prolonged drainage (air leakage duration＞5 d or drainage duration＞7 d) in 18 patients, cerebral infarction in 1 patient and other complications in 2 patients. All patients were treated well and discharged without main complaints. No perioperative death happened. ConclusionVATS anatomic basal segmentectomy is feasible and safe. It can be performed in a simple manner following the strategy of single-direction.
ObjectiveTo explore the safety and feasibility of the modified and improved thoracoscopic surgery for esophageal cancer using the concept of "single-direction" thoracoscopic technique.MethodsThe clinical data of 65 patients undergoing this modified minimally invasive esophagectomy based on "single-direction" thoracoscopic system between June 2018 and April 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 54 males and 11 females aged 62.5±7.8 years.ResultsThe thoracoscopic operation time was 133.4±28.6 min, and intraoperative blood loss was 61.9±29.2 mL. No intraoperative blood transfusion was needed. One patient was transferred to open thoracotomy (due to severe pleural adhesion atresia). Major complications included anastomotic leak, pneumonia, chylothorax, incisional infection, recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and gastric emptying disorders, which were recovered by conservative treatment. No postoperative death occurred. The median number of lymph nodes and lymph node station harvested was 19 and 10, respectively. The median postoperative hospital stay was 10 days. The volume of chest drainage was 1 117.3±543.4 mL.ConclusionThe minimally invasive operation mode of esophageal cancer based on "single-direction" thoracoscopic system is safe and feasible, and has good field vision and smooth and simplified procedure.
Surgery is an important method in the treatment of esophageal cancer. With the application of robotic surgery system, more and more surgeons have observed its huge advantages over the conventional minimally invasive surgical system in the esophageal surgery. To ensure the safety and fluency of the robotic surgery, it needs not only an experienced attending surgeon but also a well-trained assistant. This study summaries the skills of the surgical assistant in the robotic esophagectomy.
In recent years, with the improvement of people's awareness of physical examination and the more accurate detection equipment, the detection rate of pulmonary nodules is getting higher and higher. Surgical resection is the first choice for the treatment of malignant pulmonary nodules, but multiple pulmonary nodules, nodules in complex areas and those with surgical contraindications are not suitable for surgery. As an effective, less invasive and low-cost treatment, ablation has developed rapidly in the treatment of multiple pulmonary nodules. This article introduces the progress of several common ablation techniques (radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, cryoablation) in the treatment of multiple pulmonary nodules, the indications and contraindications of ablation techniques, the efficacy evaluation and complications after ablation therapy, and the prospects of ablation techniques in the treatment of multiple pulmonary nodules.
ObjectiveTo compare the surgical efficacy of Da Vinci robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) and video-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (VAMIE) on esophageal cancer.MethodsOnline databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Medline, EMbase and CNKI from inception to 31, December 2019 were searched by two researchers independently to collect the literature comparing the clinical efficacy of RAMIE and VAMIE on esophageal cancer. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess quality of the literature. The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3.ResultsA total of 14 studies with 1 160 patients were enrolled in the final study, and 12 studies were of high quality. RAMIE did not significantly prolong total operative time (P=0.20). No statistical difference was observed in the thoracic surgical time through the McKeown surgical approach (MD=3.35, 95%CI –3.93 to 10.62, P=0.37) or in surgical blood loss between RAMIE and VAMIE (MD=–9.48, 95%CI –27.91 to 8.95, P=0.31). While the RAMIE could dissect more lymph nodes in total and more lymph nodes along the left recurrent laryngeal recurrent nerve (MD=2.24, 95%CI 1.09 to 3.39, P=0.000 1; MD=0.89, 95%CI 0.13 to 1.65, P=0.02) and had a lower incidence of vocal cord paralysis (RR=0.70, 95%CI 0.53 to 0.92, P=0.009).ConclusionThere is no statistical difference observed between RAMIE and VAMIE in surgical time and blood loss. RAMIE can harvest more lymph nodes than VAMIE, especially left laryngeal nerve lymph nodes. RAMIE shows a better performance in reducing the left laryngeal nerve injury and a lower rate of vocal cord paralysis compared with VAMIE.
Objective To verify the feasibility and accuracy of the "lung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks", developed by our center, in identifying intersegmental planes during pulmonary segmentectomy. MethodsWe prospectively enrolled the patients who planned to receive thoracoscopic segmentectomy in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu from September 2021 to October 2021. We took a relatively objective and feasible method, intravenous injection of indocyanine green, in identifying intersegmental planes as standard control. We intraoperatively judged the consistency between "lung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks" and intravenous injection of indocyanine green in identifying intersegmental planes. We discerned main landmarks of intersegmental plane by the constant proportion segment module, which was built based on the "lung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks", as well as distinguished the planes with discrepant fluorescence by peripheral intravenous indocyanine green injection. When the distance between the landmarks determined by the "ung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks" and the segmental boundaries displayed by indocyanine green fluorescence staining was ≤1 cm, the landmarks were judged to be consistent with the planes with discrepant fluorescence. As long as one of the landmarks was judged to be consistent, the method was considered to be feasible and accurate. Results A total of 21 patients who underwent thoracoscopic segmentectomy were enrolled, with 5 male and 16 female patients. The median age was 55 years, ranging from 34 to 76 years. A total of 11 patients received left-side surgery, while 10 patients received right-side surgery. In the operations of 21 pulmonary segmentectomies, at least one intersegmental landmark determined by the "lung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks" was consistent with the intersegmental plane determined by indocyanine green fluorescence staining in each patient. ConclusionThe intersegmental landmarks determined by the "lung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks" are consistent with that determined by indocyanine green fluorescence staining. The method of "lung surface intersegmental constant proportion landmarks" is feasible and accurate in identifying intersegmental planes during pulmonary segmentectomy.