Does Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery with Bullectomy and Partial Pleurectomy for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax Impair Health-Related Quality of Life and Pulmonary Function?

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with partial pleurectomy is an established treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, postoperative pulmonary function and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) after VATS–bullectomy with partial pleurectomy (VBPP) have not been elucidated. Methods: Eligible patients were assessed for HR-QoL using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. Pulmonary function (PF) was evaluated by spirometry. We compared the results of the VBPP cohort with the German national norms, and with a similar cohort of patients successfully treated by chest tube (CT) only. Results: A total of 25 VBPP patients completed the SF-36 health survey, of whom 15 presented for PF assessment. Between the VBPP and CT groups, the mean forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC ratio were not statistically significantly different. However, in both groups, FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC were above the lower limit of normal (LLN), suggesting no restrictive or obstructive patterns. Compared with the sex- and age-matched normal German population, patients who underwent VBPP displayed a similar physical component summary score and a significantly decreased mental component summary score. Interestingly, comparison of the SF-36 domains between the VBPP and CT groups showed no statistical difference. Conclusion: VBPP is a suitable surgical treatment for PSP, with no apparent adverse impacts on pulmonary or physical function. However, psychological distress and measures to counteract its impact should be considered.

Video assisted thoracoscopic management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Objective: To analyze the outcome of Video assisted Thoracoscopy (Vats) in Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax (PSP). Methods: This case series was carried out from Jan 2010 to Jan 2017 in Dept of Thoracic Surgery CMH Rawalpindi and Lahore. A total of 98 patients underwent Video-assisted thoracoscopic for PSP. Inclusion criteria were physiologically fit patients with PSP for recurrent attacks, occupational hazards and prolonged air leak. Exclusion criteria included secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, previous pleurodesis and physiologically unfit patient for general anesthesia. Vanderschueren's thoracoscopic classification was used for macroscopic staging. A 3-port technique was used for apical stapling with partial pleurectomy up to 6th rib. Parietal pleura and diaphragm was also abraded. Results: Occupational hazard was the commonest indication for surgery, n= 39 (39.7%). This was followed by recurrent pneumothorax n=37 (37.7%), persistent air leak n= 19 (19.38%), and contra lateral pneumothorax n=4 (4.08). Mean age was 22.8 years ± 6.5. Majority of the cases were in stage 3 of Vanderschueren’s classification, n=69 (70.4%). Stage 4 were n= 18 and stage 2 were n=7. Mean operative time was 51minutes ±14.4. Postoperative prolonged air leak occurred in 3 patients and post-operative neuralgia occurred in 8 patients. Mean follow-up was 22 months ± 5.5, range 5-24 months for all patients. One had generalized recurrence and 2 patients have subpulmonic trapping of air. Conclusions: Video-assisted thoracoscopic stapling and pleurectomy is an effective definitive treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax when indicated with minimal recurrence. Keywords: Video-assisted thoracoscopy, blebs, pneumothorax. Continuous...

Video assisted thoracoscopic management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Objective: To analyze the outcome of Video assisted Thoracoscopy (Vats) in Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax (PSP). Methods: This case series was carried out from Jan 2010 to Jan 2017 in Dept of Thoracic Surgery CMH Rawalpindi and Lahore. A total of 98 patients underwent Video-assisted thoracoscopic for PSP. Inclusion criteria were physiologically fit patients with PSP for recurrent attacks, occupational hazards and prolonged air leak. Exclusion criteria included secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, previous pleurodesis and physiologically unfit patient for general anesthesia. Vanderschueren's thoracoscopic classification was used for macroscopic staging. A 3-port technique was used for apical stapling with partial pleurectomy up to 6th rib. Parietal pleura and diaphragm was also abraded. Results: Occupational hazard was the commonest indication for surgery, n= 39 (39.7%). This was followed by recurrent pneumothorax n=37 (37.7%), persistent air leak n= 19 (19.38%), and contra lateral pneumothorax n=4 (4.08). Mean age was 22.8 years ± 6.5. Majority of the cases were in stage 3 of Vanderschueren’s classification, n=69 (70.4%). Stage 4 were n= 18 and stage 2 were n=7. Mean operative time was 51minutes ±14.4. Postoperative prolonged air leak occurred in 3 patients and post-operative neuralgia occurred in 8 patients. Mean follow-up was 22 months ± 5.5, range 5-24 months for all patients. One had generalized recurrence and 2 patients have subpulmonic trapping of air. Conclusions: Video-assisted thoracoscopic stapling and pleurectomy is an effective definitive treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax when indicated with minimal recurrence. Keywords: Video-assisted thoracoscopy, blebs, pneumothorax. Continuous...

Primary pulmonary cystic Echinococcus in an immunocompetent patient

A 60-year-old man was referred to the interventional pulmonology clinic with a large right-sided intraparenchymal lung mass and a second, smaller lesion in the left lower lobe, accompanied by intermittent haemoptysis, fever, chills, productive cough of white phlegm as well as dizziness and weakness. He had presented previously and was being evaluated for the possibility of malignancy. Investigations had revealed ‘hooklets’ (protoscolices) of hydatid cysts, most likely representing the parasite Echinococcus. Successful surgical excision of the affected lobe, lung decortication, partial pleurectomy and pneumolysis of the adhesions was performed, along with long-term antiparasitic therapy. The initial differential diagnosis for this patient was challenging and required multimodal investigations. The patient made good recovery and continued to be followed by infectious disease specialists for management of antiparasitic therapy.

Surgical treatment of pleural recurrence of thymoma: is hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy worthwhile?

OBJECTIVES Recurrence of thymoma is described in 10–30% of cases after surgical resection. Iterative surgery for thymoma pleural relapses (TPRs) is often part of a multimodal treatment. Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) following macroscopic radical surgery is an option that combines the effects of mild hyperthermia with those of chemotherapeutic agents. We evaluated the effectiveness of surgery + HITHOC, compared with surgery alone, in the treatment of TPR. METHODS We retrospectively collected data of all patients who underwent surgery for TPR in our centre from 2005 to 2017. Relapses were treated by partial pleurectomy with radical intent, followed by HITHOC when not contraindicated. Patients were divided into 2 groups: surgery + HITHOC and surgery alone. We collected demographic and clinical data and analysed postoperative results together with oncological outcomes. RESULTS Forty patients (27: surgery + HITHOC, 13: surgery alone), mean age 49.8 (±13.7) years, were included in this study. There were no perioperative deaths. We experienced 33.3% perioperative morbidity in the surgery + HITHOC group compared with 23.1% in the surgery alone group (P = 0.71). The overall survival rate was comparable between the 2 groups (P = 0.139), whereas the local disease-free interval was 88.0 ± 15 months in the surgery + HITHOC group and 57 ± 19.5 months in the surgery alone group (P = 0.046). The analysis of factors affecting the outcomes revealed that radical surgery is related with a better survival rate whereas the local disease-free interval was significantly influenced by HITHOC. CONCLUSIONS The safety and feasibility of HITHOC in the treatment of TPR are already known, even if it should be reserved for selected patients. Surgery + HITHOC seems to be associated with a longer local disease-free time compared to surgery alone.

Primary Typical Carcinoid of The Pleura, A Rare Incidental Finding

Roughly 30% of carcinoids are found in the thoracic cavity, with the overwhelming majority of these being found in the lung parenchyma. We present a case of a rarely found primary pleural carcinoid incidentally diagnosed in a 73 year old male who presented with recalcitrant spontaneous pneumothorax requiring surgical intervention. The patient was taken to the operating room for a right video assisted thoracic surgery, partial pleurectomy, and talc pleurodesis. At the time of the operation, there were no abnormalities noted in the pleura or chest wall, and the patient did well post operatively. Pathologic examination of the pleura revealed a 3mm well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoid tumor. Laboratory and imaging studies did not indicate another site of tumor. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance is emphasized.

MesoTRAP: a feasibility study that includes a pilot clinical trial comparing video-assisted thoracoscopic partial pleurectomy decortication with indwelling pleural catheter in patients with trapped lung due to malignant pleural mesothelioma designed to address recruitment and randomisation uncertainties and sample size requirements for a phase III trial

IntroductionOne of the most debilitating symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is dyspnoea caused by pleural effusion. MPM can be complicated by the presence of tumour on the visceral pleura preventing the lung from re-expanding, known as trapped lung (TL). There is currently no consensus on the best way to manage TL. One approach is insertion of an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) under local anaesthesia. Another is video-assisted thoracoscopic partial pleurectomy/decortication (VAT-PD). Performed under general anaesthesia, VAT-PD permits surgical removal of the rind of tumour from the visceral pleura thereby allowing the lung to fully re-expand.Methods and analysisMesoTRAP is a feasibility study that includes a pilot multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial comparing VAT-PD with IPC in patients with TL and pleural effusion due to MPM. The primary objective is to measure the SD of visual analogue scale scores for dyspnoea following randomisation and examine the patterns of change over time in each treatment group. Secondary objectives include documenting survival and adverse events, estimating the incidence and prevalence of TL in patients with MPM, examining completion of alternative forms of data capture for economic evaluation and determining the ability to randomise 38 patients in 18 months.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the East of England-Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority (reference number 16/EE/0370). We aim to publish the outputs of this work in international peer-reviewed journals compliant with an Open Access policy.Trial registrationNCT03412357.