Endobronchial tumor debulking with a flexible cryoprobe for immediate treatment of malignant stenosis

Present and Future Application of Energy Devices in Thoracic Surgery

In the last decade, many energy devices have entered day-to-day practice in thoracic surgery. Some have proven and recognized applications, whereas others still require further trials. Nevertheless, currently used devices continue to be improved on and new applications for current devices will be evaluated. Ultimately, novel applications of energy in thoracic surgery and refinement in technology will hopefully allow for safer and less invasive techniques for patients requiring thoracic surgical procedures. In this article, we review the present and future applications of energy devices in thoracic surgery.

From electrocautery, balloon dilatation, neodymium-doped:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser to argon plasma coagulation and cryotherapy

Over the past decade, there has been significant advancement in the development/application of therapeutics in thoracic diseases. Ablation methods using heat or cold energy in the airway is safe and effective for treating complex airway disorders including malignant and non-malignant central airway obstruction (CAO) without limiting the impact of future definitive therapy. Timely and efficient use of endobronchial ablative therapies combined with mechanical debridement or stent placement results in immediate relief of dyspnea for CAO. Therapeutic modalities reviewed in this article including electrocautery, balloon dilation (BD), neodymium-doped:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, argon plasma coagulation (APC), and cryotherapy are often combined to achieve the desired results. This review aims to provide a clinically oriented review of these technologies in the modern era of interventional pulmonology (IP).

Cryo-recanalization in a case of carcinoid tumor - An interesting case report

The term “cryotherapy” comes from the Greek cryo (κρύο) meaning cold, and therapy (θεραπεία) meaning cure. Cryosurgery is the application of extreme cold to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue. Carcinoid tumors of the lung are a fascinating but uncommon group of pulmonary neoplasms. In the past, these tumors were grouped with benign or less aggressive malignant pulmonary tumors, namely bronchial adenomas. Recent studies have revealed that carcinoid lung tumors are the most indolent form of a spectrum of bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumors that, at its extreme, include small cell carcinoma of the lung as its most malignant member. They commonly present as endobronchial obstructions, and if complete, can be life-threatening and require immediate intervention.[1] Recently, we have treated a patient of carcinoid tumor of lung who was managed with cryo-recanalization with excellent response.

Endobronchial therapy with a thulium fiber laser (1940 nm)

BACKGROUND

Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) is standard in bronchology. The thulium fiber laser (1940 nm) has a nearly 1000-fold increased absorption in water, enabling precise tissue ablation with a small margin of coagulation, whereas 1064-nm laser light penetrates deeper into tissue with less controllable effects.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the safety, feasibility, and versatility of endobronchial thulium laser therapy in an observational cohort study.

METHODS

Endobronchial treatment with the thulium fiber laser was performed in a cohort study of 187 bronchoscopies on 132 consecutive patients with 135 endobronchial lesions amenable to laser resection.

RESULTS

The thulium fiber laser produced superficial, precise, and rapid tissue ablation. Eighty-one lesions were completely vaporized; 82 lesions were treated by deep tissue destruction by inserting the fiber into tissue followed by mechanical resection. Tumor bleeding was coagulated with rapid and sustained hemostasis (n = 28). Nitinol stents were removed after resection of severe granulation tissue overgrowth (n = 10). Intact stents were maintained after ablation of in-stent tissue (n = 47). In 11 cases, bleeding occurred during laser treatment (n = 11 of 187). Power settings between 5 and 20 W were found to be safe.

CONCLUSIONS

Endobronchial therapy with the thulium laser at 1940 nm seems to be safe, feasible, and highly versatile for treatment of airway stenosis and stent obstruction caused by tissue ingrowth. Further studies are warranted.

Successful treatment of bronchial obstruction by flexible bronchoscopy and isoniazid: A case report

Interventional bronchology techniques have been employed as an effective first-line treatment in patients with tracheobronchial obstruction. However, recurrent stenosis produced by granulation tissue requires repeated procedures. Previous studies have indicated that isoniazid regulates collagen deposition and decreases collagen content. Thus, isoniazid has been successfully administered to patients with lesions who exhibited a delay in the healing process. A case of a left mainstem obstruction managed by interventional bronchology is described in the present study. Repeated bronchial stenosis was observed even following numerous treatment procedures, however, administration of isoniazid resulted in the inhibition of hypertrophic scar formation and prevention of repeated stenosis. The suppressive effect of isoniazid on granulation formation and further observations are reported. Few studies have been conducted with regard to the function of isoniazid in suppressing scar hyperplasia, therefore, the mechanism requires further investigation.

Adjuvant treatment of proper endobronchial management in leiomyosarcoma

Endobronchial metastasis of leiomyosarcoma is rare, but it can cause life-threatening complications, such as massive hemoptysis, respiratory failure or even death. The development of new endoscopic modalities allows for effective endobronchial management. We report three patients with endobronchial metastases from advanced leiomyosarcomas which caused bronchial obstruction. The bronchoscopic examinations revealed masses obstructing the left main bronchus in all three patients. After removing the endobronchial tumor via interventional bronchoscopy, there was symptomatic and radiologic improvement. Moreover, the patients were able to undergo additional palliative chemotherapy. Therefore, endobronchial management of endobronchial tumors should be considered in the treatment of endobronchial metastasis, even in patients with advanced malignancies.

Cryotechnology for staged removal of self-expandable metallic airway stents

Self-expandable covered metallic airway stents (SEMAS) deployed for relieving inoperable central airway obstruction frequently develop complications that require removal of the device. Current techniques for SEMAS removal also involve serious complications. We are reporting a novel two-staged endoscopic approach using cryotechnology for removal of SEMAS obstructed by exuberant granulation tissue in two patients. During the first stage, the obstructing intraluminal granulation tissue was removed with cryodebridement and residual extraluminal deposits were lysed with cryotherapy. During the second stage, performed two days later, the SEMAS was liberated by mechanical means and removed in one piece. The staged approach with cryotechnology was successful and without complications.

Cryosurgery for the immediate treatment of acute central airway obstruction

Central airway obstruction commonly occurs in thoracic malignancies. Treatment is usually palliative but may be significantly challenging. Several endoscopic interventions are available to establish airway patency; however, their use is sometimes limited by certain factors like availability and high oxygen requirement. Cryosurgery has been established as a safe and effective technique for treatment of malignant airway obstruction, but its use has been limited to being adjunctive to other modalities and to low-grade stenosis. This is mainly due to the delayed effect and inability to achieve immediate airway patency. We report the successful use of this technique as stand-alone modality in a tracheal tumor with severe obstruction leading to acute respiratory failure. Immediate recanalization was achieved resulting in rapid resolution of symptoms.

A novel flexible cryoprobe for EUS-guided pancreatic biopsies

BACKGROUND

EUS-guided FNA (EUS-FNA) is an established technique for the cytologic diagnosis of pancreatic disease. Attempts to obtain adequate histologic specimens have yielded variable and mostly insufficient results.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and quality of histologic biopsy specimens obtained by using a new cryobiopsy probe and to compare them with standard EUS-FNA and (laparoscopic) trucut biopsy specimens of pancreatic tissue.

DESIGN

Animal non-survival study.

INTERVENTION

Eighty-four pancreatic biopsy specimens (12 per group) were obtained in 4 anesthetized pigs by using one of the following the 18-gauge flexible cryoprobe; a conventional, 19-gauge, EUS-FNA needle; or a rigid, trucut biopsy device (18 gauge). The latter, used in laparoscopic surgery, was considered as the criterion standard for obtaining histology specimens.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Specimens were evaluated for artifacts and specimen quality by a blinded pathologist who used a 7-point Likert scale to assess histologic adequacy. Biopsy size and bleeding time after biopsy also were recorded.

RESULTS

The new cryoprobe was equivalent to the rigid, trucut needle and superior (P < .001) to the conventional 19-gauge FNA needles with respect to artifacts, quality of the specimen, biopsy specimen size, and bleeding.

LIMITATIONS

Animal model.

CONCLUSION

EUS-guided cryobiopsy was associated with better specimen quality for histologic analysis and a shorter bleeding time compared with a conventional 19-gauge FNA needle in the animal model. It is a promising new technique for histologic examination of pancreatic tissue.

Spray cryotherapy is effective for bronchoscopic, endoscopic and open ablation of thoracic tissues

OBJECTIVES

Spray cryotherapy (SCT) delivers a liquid nitrogen spray via a catheter to produce cellular death. This study seeks to determine the histological changes after bronchoscopic, endoscopic and open SCT on tissues in the thoracic cavity.

METHODS

Yorkshire pigs underwent flexible bronchoscopy, endoscopy and thoracotomy for SCT of the airway, oesophagus and other intrathoracic structures, respectively. Variations in the duration and number of spray cycles for the same dosimetry were compared.

RESULTS

Bronchoscopic SCT of the airway resulted in cellular death up to the cartilage layer. Endoscopic SCT of the oesophagus led to cell death up to the adventitial layer. Tissue necrosis was severe in the lung, of full thickness in the pleura, but very superficial in the great vessels. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of treated tissues remained well-preserved. Having shorter but more cycles of SCT decreased the depth of the cellular necrosis. One pig developed ventricular fibrillation during the surgery and expired.

CONCLUSIONS

SCT causes reproducible tissue injury with the preserved ECM of most tissues within the thoracic cavity, making it enticing for ablation around vital structures like the great vessels with a decreased long-term risk. Further study is warranted to investigate the adverse events during SCT.

[Clinical application of video-assisted rigid bronchoscopy in the treatment of airway stenoses]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Treatment of critical airway stenoses remains a formidable challenge to surgeons and anesthesiologists. Suffocate is a leading cause of death if the patients with airway diseases were not treated properly. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility, safety and efficiency using video-assisted rigid bronchoscopes (VARB) in the treatment of central airway stenoses.

METHODS

From August 27, 2007 to September 30, 2010, 194 patients (140 men and 54 women, mean age 57.5±1.3 years) with airway stenoses (145 with malignant and 49 with benign stenoses) were retrospectively reviewed underwent VARB treatment in our hospital. All the procedures were carried out under general anesthesia with high frequency jet ventilation. After the VARB was placed in the main trachea through the mouth, electric bronchoscope was combined to examine the lesions. Various methods for controlling the airway have been established to solve this problem, such as the electric loop, cryoprobe or argon plasma coagulation (APC) and stents.

RESULTS

T325 procedures were accomplished in all the 194 cases. Every patients received 1.6 procedures of VARB. VARB occupied 21.3% (325/1,525) in all bronchoscopic procedures. Among the patients, there were 76 cases with primary airway tumor and 69 with secondary malignant tumor, 49 with benign airway stenoses. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) and short breathless index were obviously improved after the first treatment of VARB. Improvement of bronchial stenoses was superior to that of tracheal stenoses. The effect of electasis treatment is better in obstruction of main bronchus than that of segment bronchus. 26 airway stents were removed and 13 stents were successfully placed under VARB.

CONCLUSIONS

VARB can be applied safely and effectively for the management of tracheobronchial stenoses. Quality of life was improved after the treatment of VARB.

Endoscopic cryosurgical resection of pulmonary hamartoma with flexible bronchoscopy

Pulmonary hamartoma is one of the most common benign lung tumors. Well-known conventional methods of treatment for lung hamartomas include VATS enucleation or wedge resection, bronchoplasty, and others. Here we present a case of endobronchial hamartoma that was successfully treated with cryosurgery by flexible bronchoscopy.

Advanced malignant lung disease: what the specialist can offer

Lung cancer is not only the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, but it is still the leading cause for cancer-related death. The 5-year survival for lung cancer in Europe and in the USA is totally 16%. Therefore, a palliative therapy regimen is required to control the disease and reduce symptoms with the objective of enhancing quality of life of lung cancer patients. In addition to chemotherapy that is still one of the most important pillars in the treatment of advanced lung cancer, further interventional strategies can be offered to improve a patient's quality of life. A locoregional tumour progression is frequently associated with malignant pleural effusion or pericardial effusion, central airway obstruction, tracheo-oesophageal fistula, severe haemoptysis or superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome threatening life and necessitating urgent palliation. Recurrent pleural effusion causing dyspnoea can be managed by pleurodesis, serial thoracocentesis or insertion of an indwelling catheter. Symptomatic malignant pericardial effusion often requires an urgent pericardiocentesis. Furthermore, surgical procedures, instillation of sclerosing agents or local chemotherapy should be considered in refractory pericardial effusion. The therapy regimen of central airway stenosis includes mechanical and thermic endoscopic procedures providing rapid relief of symptoms. To prevent recurrence of airway obstruction, the insertion of a stent or palliative brachytherapy provide re-establishment of the patency of obstructed airways. Haemoptysis can be managed by bronchoscopic interventions as well as by arterial embolization or palliative thoracic radiotherapy. The therapy of SVC syndrome is dependent of histology. In small-cell lung cancer, chemotherapy is recommended. In non-small-cell lung cancer, stent insertion and/or radiotherapy are the therapeutic pillars.

Endobronchial cryobiopsy or forceps biopsy for lung cancer diagnosis

BACKGROUND:

Invasive procedures such as bronchoscopic biopsy, bronchial washing, and bronchial brushing are widely used in diagnosis of lung cancers. The mean diagnostic rate with bronchoscopic forceps biopsy is 74% in central tumors. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of cryobiopsies in histopathological diagnosis.

METHODS:

Forty-one patients who had interventional bronchoscopy were included in this study. Three forceps biopsies and one cryobiopsy with cryorecanalization probe were obtained from each subject. Biopsies interpretations were done by one expert pathologist.

RESULTS:

Hemorrhage was the only complication in both procedures. There was no significant difference between these two procedures in the incidence of hemorrhage (P > 0.05). Mean diameters of samples taken with forceps biopsy and cryoprobe biopsy were 0.2 and 0.8 cm, respectively (P < 0.001). Thirty-two patients (78%) were diagnosed with forceps biopsies, and 38 patients (92.7%) were diagnosed with cryoprobe biopsies (P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS:

We concluded that cryoprobe biopsies were more successful than forceps biopsies in diagnosis. Nevertheless, further investigations are warranted to determine an efficacy of cryoprobe biopsy procedures and a rationale to use as a part of routine flexible bronchoscopy.

Palliative care in lung cancer

Advancements in the surgical and medical treatment of lung cancer have resulted in more favorable short-term survival outcomes. After initial treatment, lung cancer requires continued surveillance and follow-up for long-term side effects and possible recurrence. The integration of quality palliative care into routine clinical care of patients with lung cancer after surgical intervention is essential in preserving function and optimizing quality of life through survivorship. An interdisciplinary palliative care model can effectively link patients to the appropriate supportive care services in a timely fashion. This article describes the role of palliative care for patients with lung cancer.

[Endoscopic palliation of esophageal and bronchial carcinomas]

Luminal obstruction from tumor growth can in relation to bronchial carcinoma lead to airway and/or esophageal obstruction in breathlessness or swallowing difficulties respectively. Self-expanding stents have become an established method of restoring luminal patency in both the esophagus and central airways, leading to significant symptomatic improvement. Due to anatomical constraints particularly in processes around the tracheal carina, stent implantation within the bronchial system often poses greater difficulty than within the esophagus. Technical difficulties do however arise in the esophagus, specifically in relation to stenotic high-cervical tumors, as well as distal stenosis. In this regard, advances in stent development have resulted in significantly improved outcomes with modern stents. In high-cervical esophageal tumors as well as locally invasive tumors with evidence of tracheobronchial fistulae a shared interdisciplinary care between the gastroenterology and pulmonary teams is necessary for a satisfactory outcome.