The Severity of Complications Is Associated With Postoperative Costs After Lung Resection

Perioperative Albumin Among Adults Undergoing Thoracic Surgery in the United States: Utilization, Associations With Clinical Outcomes, and Contribution to Hospital Costs

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the use of albumin among adults undergoing thoracic surgery in the United States, compare baseline characteristics, clinical and cost outcomes of recipients versus nonrecipients, and determine albumin's contribution to total hospital costs.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Nationwide sample of US hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults undergoing open and minimally invasive thoracic surgery between 2011 and 2017.

INTERVENTIONS

Albumin on the day of surgery (identified using itemized hospital billing logs).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Albumin was used in 170 of 342 US hospitals, among 13% and 7% of 14,672 and 22,532 patients who, respectively, underwent open and minimally invasive thoracic surgery (median volume 500 mL). Baseline comorbidities and organ-supportive treatments were several-fold more prevalent among recipients (particularly vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, and red cell transfusions). In standardized mortality ratio propensity score weighted analysis, albumin use was not associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted relative risk 1.17 [0.72, 1.92] and 1.51 [0.97, 2.34], with open and minimally invasive procedures), but was associated with morbidity and higher costs, more so with minimally invasive procedures than with open surgery. Total costs among recipients were higher by $4,744 ($3,591, $5,897) and $5,088 ($4,075, $6,100) for open and minimally invasive procedures, respectively. Albumin accounted for 2.6% of this difference (median $124 [$83-$189] per patient).

CONCLUSIONS

Albumin use varies widely across hospitals, and 9% of patients receive it (median 500 mL). Use was not associated with in-hospital mortality and was associated with more morbidity and cost. The cost of albumin accounted for a trivial portion of hospital costs. Clinical trials must examine the effects of albumin on complications and costs after thoracic surgery.

Preoperative quality of life predicts complications in thoracic surgery: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Patients undergoing thoracic surgery experience high complication rates. It is uncertain whether preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurements can predict patients at higher risk for postoperative complications. The objective of this study was to determine the association between preoperative HRQOL and postoperative complications among patients undergoing thoracic surgery.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data. Consecutive patients undergoing elective thoracic surgery at a Canadian tertiary care centre between January 2018 and January 2019 were included. Patient HRQOL was measured using the Euroqol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) survey. Complications were recorded using the Ottawa Thoracic Morbidity and Mortality system. Uni- and multivariable analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Of 515 surgeries performed, 133 (25.8%) patients experienced at least 1 postoperative complication; 345 (67.0%) patients underwent surgery for malignancy. A range of 271 (52.7%) to 310 (60.2%) patients experienced pain/discomfort at each timepoint. On multivariable analysis, lower preoperative EQ-5D visual analogue scale scores were significantly associated with postoperative complications (adjusted odds ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.99; P = 0.01). Presence of malignancy was not independently associated with complications (P = 0.68).

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported preoperative HRQOL can predict incidence of postoperative complications among patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Assessments of preoperative HRQOL may help identify patients at higher risk for developing complications. These findings could be used to direct preoperative risk-mitigation strategies in areas of HRQOL where patients suffer most, such as pain. The full perioperative trajectory of patient HRQOL should be discerned to identify subsets of patients who share common risk factors.

Risk Factors of Severe Postoperative Complication in Lung Cancer Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

PURPOSE

Clinically, postoperative complications are occasionally observed in lung cancer patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The increased risk of postoperative complications in DM patients has been reported in other fields. This study aims to identify risk factors for severe postoperative complications in lung cancer patients with DM.

METHODS

Of 2756 consecutive patients who underwent complete resection for lung cancer between 2008 and 2018 in our hospital, 475 patients (20%) were complicated by DM. Clinical factors and diabetic factors (HbA1c, preoperative fasting blood glucose [FBG], postoperative mean FBG on 1, 3 postoperative days [PODs], and use of insulin) were evaluated by univariable and multivariable analyses to identify independent risk factors of severe complication.

RESULTS

The 349 (73%) patients were male. Their median age was 71 years. Severe perioperative complications occurred in 128 (27%) patients. In the multivariable analysis, male (p <0.01), age (≥75 years) (p = 0.04), preoperative FBG (≥140 mg/dL) (p = 0.03), and increased mean FBG on 1, 3 PODs (≥180 mg/dL) (p <0.01) were significantly associated with severe perioperative complications.

CONCLUSION

Increased FBG on 1, 3 PODs (≥180 mg/dL) was an independent risk factor for severe perioperative complications in lung cancer with DM. Postoperative hyperglycemia may be correlated to severe perioperative complications.

A Hierarchy-driven Multi-label Network with Label Constraints for Post-operative Complication Prediction of Lung Cancer. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023;2023:1-6. [PMID: 38083421 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10339943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Lung cancer is one of the most dangerous cancers all over the world. Surgical resection remains the only potentially curative option for patients with lung cancer. However, this invasive treatment often causes various complications, which seriously endanger patient health. In this study, we proposed a novel multi-label network, namely a hierarchy-driven multi-label network with label constraints (HDMN-LC), to predict the risk of complications of lung cancer patients. In this method, we first divided all complications into pulmonary and cardiovascular complication groups and employed the hierarchical cluster algorithm to analyze the hierarchies between these complications. After that, we employed the hierarchies to drive the network architecture design so that related complications could share more hidden features. And then, we combined all complications and employed an auxiliary task to predict whether any complications would occur to impose the bottom layer to learn general features. Finally, we proposed a regularization term to constrain the relationship between specific and combined complication labels to improve performance. We conducted extensive experiments on real clinical data of 593 patients. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method outperforms the single-label, multi-label baseline methods, with an average AUC value of 0.653. And the results also prove the effectiveness of hierarchy-driven network architecture and label constraints. We conclude that the proposed method can predict complications for lung cancer patients more effectively than the baseline methods.Clinical relevance-This study presents a novel multi-label network that can more accurately predict the risk of specific postoperative complications for lung cancer patients. The method can help clinicians identify high-risk patients more accurately and timely so that interventions can be implemented in advance to ensure patient safety.

A cost analysis of robotic vs. video-assisted thoracic surgery: The impact of the learning curve and the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) is an alternative to video-assessed thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for the treatment of lung cancer but concern exists regarding the high associated costs. The COVID-19 pandemic added further financial pressure to healthcare systems. This study investigated the impact of the learning curve on the cost-effectiveness of RATS lung resection and the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a RATS program.

Methods

Patients undergoing RATS lung resection between January 2017 and December 2020 were prospectively followed. A matched cohort of VATS cases were analyzed in parallel. The first 100 and most recent 100 RATS cases performed at our institution were compared to assess the learning curve. Cases performed before and after March 2020 were compared to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive cost analysis of multiple theatre and postoperative data points was performed using Stata statistics package (v14.2).

Results

365 RATS cases were included. Median cost per procedure was £7,167 and theatre cost accounted for 70%. Major contributing factors to overall cost were operative time and postoperative length of stay. Cost per case was £640 less after passing the learning curve (p < 0.001) largely due to reduced operative time. Comparison of a post-learning curve RATS subgroup matched to 101 VATS cases revealed no significant difference in theatre costs between the two techniques. Overall cost of RATS lung resections performed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were not significantly different. However, theatre costs were significantly cheaper (£620/case; p < 0.001) and postoperative costs were significantly more expensive (£1,221/case; p = 0.018) during the pandemic.

Discussion

Passing the learning curve is associated with a significant reduction in the theatre costs associated with RATS lung resection and is comparable with the cost of VATS. This study may underestimate the true cost benefit of passing the learning curve due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on theatre costs. The COVID-19 pandemic made RATS lung resection more expensive due to prolonged hospital stay and increased readmission rate. The present study offers some evidence that the initial increased costs associated with RATS lung resection may be gradually offset as a program progresses.

Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery in a Pediatric Hospital: Early Results and Review of the Literature

Background: Uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) is an implemented technique in adult surgery that may aid to extend offer the benefits of thoracoscopy to a wide number of pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: Consecutive cases treated between July 2019 and July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Simultaneously, a MEDLINE systematic search was conducted. Results: Twelve patients (median age 13 years, median weight 44.5 kg) underwent 4 major procedures (n = 2 lobectomy, n = 2 segmentectomy) and 11 minor procedures (n = 1 bronchogenic cyst resection, n = 4 apical wedge resections and pleurodesis for pneumothorax, n = 4 wedge resections for lung nodules, and n = 2 debridement for empyema). The median observed operative time was 77 minutes. We recorded one conversion to biportal VATS. No intraoperative complications or 30-day morbidity-mortality was reported. A rate of 40% adverse postoperative events was observed (Clavien-Dindo grade I-IVa). Visual analog scale for postoperative pain recorded a median value of 0 on days 1, 2, and 3. The systematic review provided 15 full-text articles reporting 76 pediatric interventions (4 major and 72 minor procedures); among them, 1 biportal conversion, 3 mild postoperative complications, and 1 redo surgery are presented. Conclusions: As emerged from the literature review, U-VATS remains scarcely adopted by pediatric surgeons. Its feasibility is supported by the four reported major lung resections plus the four cases added on by our series. Thanks to a more rapid learning curve over conventional VATS, the uniportal technique could be accessible to a wider number of centers.

Shortness of Breath on Day 1 After Surgery Alerting the Presence of Early Respiratory Complications After Surgery in Lung Cancer Patients

PURPOSE

Patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based symptom assessment with a threshold can facilitate the early alert of adverse events. The purpose of this study was to determine whether shortness of breath (SOB) on postoperative day 1 (POD1) can inform postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) for patients after lung cancer (LC) surgery.

METHODS

Data were extracted from a prospective cohort study of patients with LC surgery. Symptoms were assessed by the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-lung cancer module (MDASI-LC) before and daily after surgery. Types and grades of complications during hospitalization were recorded. SOB and other symptoms were tested for a possible association with PPCs by logistic regression models. Optimal cutpoints of SOB were derived, using the presence of PPCs as an anchor.

RESULTS

Among 401 patients with complete POD1 MDASI-LC and records on postoperative complications, 46 (11.5%) patients reported Clavien-Dindo grade II-IV PPCs. Logistic regression revealed that higher SOB score on POD1 (odds ratio [OR]=1.13, 95% CI=1.01-1.27), male (OR=2.86, 95% CI=1.32-6.23), open surgery (OR=3.03, 95% CI=1.49-6.14), and lower forced expiratory volume in one second (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.66-2.96) were significantly associated with PPCs. The optimal cutpoint was 6 (on a 0-10 scale) for SOB. Patients reporting SOB < 6 on POD1 had shorter postoperative length of stay than those reporting 6 or greater SOB (median, 6 vs 7, P =0.007).

CONCLUSION

SOB on POD1 can inform the onset of PPCs in patients after lung cancer surgery. PRO-based symptom assessment with a clinically meaningful threshold could alert clinicians for the early management of PPCs.

Prognostic Value of Preoperative Peak Expiratory Flow to Predict Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Surgical Lung Cancer Patients

Objectives

Cough impairment may lead to excessive accumulation of pulmonary secretions and increase the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is a sensitive indicator of cough ability. We aimed to investigate the correlation between PEF and PPCs for lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy or segmental resection for improved risk assessment.

Methods

This retrospective study assessed 560 patients with non-small cell lung cancer admitted for surgery between January 2014 to June 2016. The measurements of PEF were performed before surgery and the clinical outcomes were recorded, including PPCs, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and other variables.

Results

Preoperative PEF was significantly lower in PPCs group compared to non-PPCs group (294.2 ± 95.7 vs. 363.0 ± 105.6 L/min, P < 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that high PEF (OR=0.991, 95%CI: 0.988-0.993, P < 0.001) was an independent protective factor for PPCs. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, a PEF value of 250 L/min was selected as the optimal cutoff value in female patients, and 320 L/min in male patients. Patients with PEF under cutoff value of either sex had higher PPCs rate and unfavorable clinical outcomes.

Conclusions

Preoperative PEF was found to be a significant predictor of PPCs for surgical lung cancer patients. It may be beneficial to consider the cutoff value of PEF in perioperative risk assessment.

Escalated grades of complications correlate with incremental costs of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery major lung resection for lung cancer in China

OBJECTIVE

Few studies have focused on factors associated with the incremental cost of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in China. We aim to systematically classify the complications after VATS major lung resection and explore their correlation with hospital costs.

METHODS

Patients with pathologically stage I-III lung cancer who underwent VATS major lung resections from January 2007 to December 2018 were included. The Thoracic Mortality and Morbidity (TM&M) Classification system was used to evaluate postoperative complications. Grade I and II complications, defined as minor complications, require no therapy or pharmacologic intervention only. Grade III and IV complications, defined as major complications, require surgical intervention or life support. Grade V results in death. A generalized linear model was used to explore the correlation of incremental hospital costs and complications, as well as other clinicopathologic parameters between 2013 and 2016.

RESULTS

A total of 2881 patients were enrolled in the first part, and the minor and major complications rates were 24.3% (703 patients) and 8.3% (228 patients), respectively. Six hundred and eighty-two patients were enrolled in the second part. The complications grade II (odds ratio [OR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.2, p = 0.0005), grade III (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.26-1.9, p < 0.0001), grades IV and V (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.13, p = 0.0002), diffusion capacity of carbon dioxide (OR 0.998, 95% CI 0.997-1.000, p = 0.004), and duration of chest drainage (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04, p < 0.001) and were independent risk factors for the increase in in-hospital costs of VATS major lung resections.

CONCLUSIONS

The severity of complications graded by the TM&M system was an independent risk factor for increased in-hospital costs.

Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia and prognosis in lung cancer patients after surgery: A retrospective study

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is one of the most frequent complications following lung surgery. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for developing POP and the prognostic factors in lung cancer patients after lung resection.We performed a retrospective review of 726 patients who underwent surgery for stages I-III lung cancer at a single institution between August 2017 and July 2018 by conducting logistic regression analysis of the risk factors for POP. The Cox risk model was used to analyze the factors influencing the survival of patients with lung cancer.We identified 112 patients with POP. Important risk factors for POP included smoking (odds ratio [OR], 2.672; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.586-4.503; P < .001), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (40-59 vs ≥80%, 4.328; 95% CI, 1.976-9.481; P < .001, <40 vs ≥80%, 4.725; 95% CI, 1.352-16.514; P = .015), and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score (OR, 2.304; 95% CI, 1.382-3.842; P = .001). In the Cox risk model, we observed that age (hazard ratios (HR), 1.633; 95% CI, 1.062-2.513; P = .026), smoking (HR, 1.670; 95% CI, 1.027-2.716; P = .039), POP (HR, 1.637; 95% CI, 1.030-2.600; P = .037), etc were predictor variables for patient survival among the factors examined in this study.The risk factors for POP and the predictive factors affecting overall survival (OS) should be taken into account for effective management of patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery.

"Fit for Surgery? What's New in Preoperative Assessment of the High-Risk Patient Undergoing Pulmonary Resection"

Advances in perioperative assessment and diagnostics, together with developments in anesthetic and surgical techniques, have considerably expanded the pool of patients who may be suitable for pulmonary resection. Thoracic surgical patients frequently are perceived to be at high perioperative risk due to advanced age, level of comorbidity, and the risks associated with pulmonary resection, which predispose them to a significantly increased risk of perioperative complications, increased healthcare resource use, and costs. The definition of what is considered "fit for surgery" in thoracic surgery continually is being challenged. However, no internationally standardized definition of prohibitive risk exists. Perioperative assessment traditionally concentrates on the "three-legged stool" of pulmonary mechanical function, parenchymal function, and cardiopulmonary reserve. However, no single criterion should exclude a patient from surgery, and there are other perioperative factors in addition to the tripartite assessment that need to be considered in order to more accurately assess functional capacity and predict individual perioperative risk. In this review, the authors aim to address some of the more erudite concepts that are important in preoperative risk assessment of the patient at potentially prohibitive risk undergoing pulmonary resection for malignancy.

What counts more: the patient, the surgical technique, or the hospital? A multivariable analysis of factors affecting perioperative complications of pulmonary lobectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery from a large nationwide registry

OBJECTIVES

Inherent technical aspects of pulmonary lobectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) may limit surgeons' ability to deal with factors predisposing to complications. We analysed complication rates after VATS lobectomy in a prospectively maintained nationwide registry.

METHODS

The registry was queried for all consecutive VATS lobectomy procedures from 49 Italian Thoracic Units. Baseline condition, tumour features, surgical techniques, devices, postoperative care, complications, conversions and the reasons thereof were detailed. Univariable and multivariable regressions were used to assess factors potentially linked to complications.

RESULTS

Four thousand one hundred and ninety-one VATS lobectomies in 4156 patients (2480 men, 1676 women) were analysed. The median age-adjusted Charlson index of the patients was 4 (interquartile range 3-6). Grade 1 and 2 and Grade 3-5 complications were observed in 20.1% and in 5.8%, respectively. Ninety-day mortality was 0.55%. The overall conversion rate was 9.2% and significantly higher in low-volume centres (<100 cases, P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between intermediate- and high-volume centres under this aspect. Low-volume centres were significantly more likely to convert due to issues with difficult local anatomy, but not significantly so for bleeding. Conversion, lower case-volume, comorbidity burden, male gender, adhesions, blood loss, operative time, sealants and epidural analgesia were significantly associated with increased postoperative morbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

VATS lobectomy is a safe procedure even in medically compromised patients. An improved classification system for conversions is proposed and prevention strategies are suggested to reduce conversion rates and possibly complications in less-experienced centres.

Evaluating the association of the new National Surgical Quality Improvement Program modified 5-factor frailty index with outcomes in elective colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND

The 5-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5) is a new, NSQIP-based, predictive tool for mortality and postoperative complications. The mFI-5's predictive ability has been validated within the large-scale NSQIP database but applicability in institutional databases has not been investigated. We sought to assess the association between the mFI-5 and morbidity/mortality at the institutional level.

METHODS

A divisional database was queried for 2017 elective colorectal resections and an mFI-5 calculated. The main outcome measure was the association and predictive value of the mFI-5 with major morbidity/mortality and minor complications. Univariable analyses were performed via the Cochran-Armitage Test and Cramer's V. Logistic regression evaluated the relationship between the mFI-5 and morbidity/mortality while accounting for demographics and pre-operative risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to visualize the predictive strength for outcomes.

RESULTS

Four hundred and twelve patients were analyzed. 8.7% had major morbidity/mortality and 31.6% minor complications. The mFI-5 categorized patients into 0 (n = 335), 1 (n = 58), and 2+ (n = 19) groups. Univariable analysis showed a higher mFI-5 was associated significantly with major morbidity/mortality (P = 0.004), but not minor (P = 0.281). Multivariable logistic regression showed a strong association between an mFI-5 score of 2+ with major complications (Major: OR = 4.616, CI [1.442-14.776], P = 0.010). ROC curves showed the mFI-5 was poor for predicting outcomes and performed better when other risk factors were added to the model.

CONCLUSION

The mFI-5 tool has an independent association with major morbidity/mortality in an institutional dataset for elective colorectal surgery, but is not predictive. Its predictive ability is enhanced when other patient-specific risk factors are incorporated.

Factors influencing the length of stay after mediastinal tumor resection in the setting of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)-TUBELESS protocol

Background

Prolonged length of stay after surgery is considered to increase cost and hospital-acquired complications. Therefore, we aimed to identify the risk factors that were associated with an increased length of stay after mediastinal tumor resection in the setting of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)-TUBELESS protocol.

Methods

This prospective cohort study collected data on consecutive patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) resection for mediastinal tumor between December 2015 and November 2018 at a single center in China. All patients followed the ERAS-TUBELESS protocol. A length of stay after VATS tumor resection (LOS) greater than 3 days was considered an increased LOS. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify potential factors associated with increased LOS. Factors were divided into patient-related risk factors and procedure-related risk factors.

Results

A total of 204 patients were included, of which 85 (41.67%) patients had a LOS of more than 3 days. The median LOS for the entire cohort was 3 days. All the patient-related risk factors had no significantly associated with a prolonged LOS. Procedure-related risk factors that were significantly associated with a prolonged LOS were surgeon, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, drainage tube, analgesic drugs, and complications. Anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation was correlated with early discharge (LOS ≤1 day).

Conclusions

In the setting of an ERAS-TUBELESS protocol, the main drivers of LOS were procedure-related factors. Anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation was associated with early discharge (LOS ≤1 day) and thus promoted thoracic day surgery.

Significance of the lobe-specific emphysema index to predict prolonged air leak after anatomical segmentectomy

Prolonged air leak (PAL) is a major complication of pulmonary resection. Emphysema quantification with computed tomography is regarded as an important predictor of PAL for patients undergoing lobectomy. Therefore, we investigated whether this predictor might be applicable for segmentectomy. Herein, we characterized the factors that influence PAL in early stage lung cancer patients undergoing anatomical segmentectomy. Forty-one patients who underwent anatomical segmentectomy for early lung cancer between January 2014 and July 2017 were included for analysis. Several baseline and surgical variables were evaluated. In particular, the emphysema index (EI, %) and lobe-specific emphysema index (LEI, %) were assessed by using three-dimensional volumetric CT scan. PAL was observed in 13 patients (31.7%). There were statistically significant differences in DLCO (97.3% ± 18.3% vs. 111.7% ± 15.9%, p = 0.014), EI (4.61% ± 4.66% vs. 1.17% ± 1.76%, p = 0.023), and LEI (5.81% ± 5.78% vs. 0.76% ± 1.17%, p = 0.009) between patients with and without PAL. According to logistic regression analysis, both EI and LEI were significantly associated with PAL (p = 0.028 and p < 0.001, respectively). We found that EI and LEI significantly influenced the development of PAL after pulmonary resection. In particular, LEI showed stronger association with PAL, compared with EI, suggesting the importance of LEI in the prediction of PAL after anatomical segmentectomy.

Resource implications of robotic thoracic surgery: what are the wider issues?

The benefits of minimally invasive thoracic surgery are well documented when compared to the use of standard thoracotomy. Much controversy exists, however, regarding the resource implications when using robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), especially when compared to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Much of the costs attributed to a particular approach center around the frequency and severity of the complications that may arise. Little exists in the literature to appropriately compare and contrast the complication rate following either of the minimally invasive approaches. There is a suggestion that many conventional open surgeons are more readily persuaded to adopt a minimally invasive approach through the use of the robotic platform, therefore reducing the complication-related costs of standard thoracotomy by an increase in minimally invasive resection rates. Further gains may be made in the ability to perform more complex minimally invasive procedures via a RATS approach without recourse to open conversion when compared to VATS. As opportunities and competition increase in the commercial market place, it is reasonable to assume costs will fall and further savings will be made.

Predictive factors of postoperative complications in single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomical resection: Two center experience

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for adverse events during single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic (SPVATS) anatomical resections.We retrospectively reviewed patients who had undergone SPVATS anatomic resections between January 2014 and February 2017 in Coruña University Hospital's Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Unit (CHUAC, Spain) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH, Taiwan). Four hundred forty-two patients (male: 306, female: 136) were enrolled in this study. Logistic regression analysis was performed on variables for postoperative complications.Postoperative complications with a 30-day mortality occurred in 94 patients (21.3%) and with a 90-day mortality in 3 patients (0.7%) while the major complication rate was 3.9%. Prolonged air leak (PAL > 5 days) was the most common complication and came by postoperative arrhythmia. Logistic regression indicated that pleural symphysis (odds ratio (OR), 1.91; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14-3.18; P = .014), computed tomography (CT) pulmonary emphysema (OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.41-4.76; P = .002), well-developed pulmonary CT fissure line (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.29-0.84; P = .009), and tumor size (≥3 cm) (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.30-3.57; P = .003) were predictors of postoperative complications.Our preliminary results revealed that SPVATS anatomic resection achieves acceptable 30- and 90-day surgery related mortality (0.7%) and major complications rate (3.9%). Prolonged Air leak (PAL > 5 days) was the most common postoperative complication. Pleural symphysis, pulmonary emphysema, well-developed pulmonary CT fissure line and tumor size (≥3 cm) were predictors of adverse events during SPVATS anatomic resection.

Preoperative peak expiratory flow (PEF) for predicting postoperative pulmonary complications after lung cancer lobectomy: a prospective study with 725 cases

Background

The study aimed to investigate the correlation between peak expiratory flow (PEF) and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) for lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy.

Methods

Patients who were diagnosed with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n=725) were prospectively analyzed and the relationship between the preoperative PEF and PPCs was evaluated based on patients' basic characteristics and clinical data in hospital.

Results

Among the 725 included patients, 144 of them were presented PPCs in 30 days after lobectomy, which were divided into PPCs group. PEF value (294.2±85.1 vs. 344.7±89.6 L/min; P<0.001) were found lower in PPCs group, compared with non-PPCs group; PEF (OR, 0.984, 95% CI: 0.980-0.987, P<0.001) was a significant independent predictor for the occurrence of PPCs; based on an receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, with the consideration of balancing the sensitivity and specificity, a cutoff value of 300 (L/min) (Youden index: 0.484, sensitivity: 69.4%, specificity: 79.0%) was selected and a PEF ≤300 L/min indicated a 8-fold increase in odds of having PPCs after lung surgery (OR, 8.551, 95% CI: 5.692-12.845, P<0.001). With regard to PPCs rate, patients with PEF value ≤300 L/min had high PPCs rate than those with PEF >300 L/min (45.0%, 100/222 vs. 8.7%, 44/503, P<0.001); Meanwhile, pneumonia (24.8%, 55/222 vs. 6.4%, 32/503, P<0.001), atelectasis (9.5%, 21/222 vs. 4.0%, 20/503, P=0.003) and mechanical ventilation >48 h (5.4%, 12/222 vs. 2.4%, 12/503, P=0.036) were higher in the group with PEF value ≤300 L/min.

Conclusions

The presented study revealed a significant correlation between a low PEF value and PPCs in surgical lung cancer patients receiving lobectomy, indicating the potential of a low PEF as an independent risk factor for the occurrence of PPCs and a PPC-guided (PEF value ≤300 L/min) risk assessment could be meaningful for the perioperative management of lung cancer candidates waiting for surgery.

All grades of severity of postoperative adverse events are associated with prolonged length of stay after lung cancer resection

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether all grades of severity of postoperative adverse events are associated with prolonged length of stay in patients undergoing pulmonary cancer resection.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients who underwent pulmonary resection with curative intent for malignancy at The Ottawa Hospital, Division of Thoracic Surgery (January 2008 to July 2015). Postoperative adverse events were collected prospectively with the Thoracic Morbidity & Mortality System, based on the Clavien-Dindo severity classification. Patient demographics, comorbidities, preoperative investigations, cardiopulmonary assessment, pathologic staging, operative characteristics, and length of stay were retrospectively reviewed. Prolonged hospital stay was defined as >75th percentile for each procedure performed (wedge resection 6 days, segmentectomy 6 days, lobectomy 7 days, extended lobectomy 8 days, pneumonectomy 10 days). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with prolonged hospital stay.

RESULTS

Of 1041 patients, 579 (55.6%) were female, 610 (58.1%) were >65 years old, 232 (22.3%) experienced prolonged hospital stay, and 416 (40.0%) patients had ≥1 postoperative adverse event. Multivariable analyses identified significant (P < .05) factors associated with prolonged hospital stay to be (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval): lower diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (0.99; 0.98-0.99), surgical approach: open thoracotomy (1.8; 1.3-2.5), and presence of any postoperative adverse event: Grade I (5.8; 3.3-10.2), Grade II (6.0; 4.0-8.9), Grade III (11.4; 7.0-18.7), and Grade IV (19.40; 7.1-55.18).

CONCLUSIONS

Lower diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, open thoracotomy approach, and the development of any postoperative adverse event, including minor events that required no additional therapy, were factors associated with prolonged hospital stay.