Hybrid Theater and Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: The Perfect Match for Lung Nodule Localization

What's new in thoracic oncology

Many changes have occurred in the field of thoracic surgery over the last several years. In this review, we will discuss new diagnostic techniques for lung cancer, innovations in surgery, and major updates on latest treatment options including immunotherapy. All these have significantly started to change our approach toward the management of lung cancer and have great potential to improve the lives of our patients afflicted with this disease.

Preoperative computed tomography-guided transscapular sens-cure needle localization for pulmonary nodule located behind the scapula

BACKGROUND

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is an approach that is commonly used to resect pulmonary nodules (PNs). However, when these PNs are located behind the scapula, a transscapular access approach is generally required. In this study, the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided Sens-cure needle (SCN) localization was assessed for PNs located behind the scapula.

METHODS

From January 2020 - June 2022, a total of 122 PN patients in our hospital underwent preoperative CT-guided SCN localization and subsequent VATS resection, of whom 12 (9.8%) exhibited PNs behind the scapula necessitating a transscapular approach for this localization procedure.

RESULTS

This study included 12 patients, each of whom had one PN located behind the scapula. The CT-guided transscapular SCN localization approach was successful in all patients, and no complications near the operative site were observed. The median localization time was 12 min, and 2 (16.7%) and 1 (8.3%) patients respectively developed pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage after the localization procedure was complete. Wedge resection procedures for these PNs achieved technical success in all cases. Four patients were diagnosed with invasive adenocarcinomas and subsequently accepted lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection. The median VATS duration and the median blood loss was 80 min and 10 mL, respectively. In total, 3, 5, and 4 PNs were respectively diagnosed as benign, mini-invasive adenocarcinomas, and invasive adenocarcinomas.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative CT-guided transscapular SCN localization represents a safe, straightforward, and effective means of localizing PNs present behind the scapula.

Meta-Resolve of Risk Factors for Nosocomial Infection in Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgery

As we all know, various complications may occur after surgery, and postoperative bleeding and infection are the most common in clinical practice. Postoperative infection mainly manifests as abdominal abscess, peritonitis, and fungal infection. Thoracic surgery is a very common clinical operation. It can directly deal with the relevant lesions, so a better curative effect can usually be obtained. However, patients undergoing thoracic surgery are generally more severely ill, with low immune resistance, long duration, and complicated surgical treatment process. Therefore, the probability of nosocomial infection is high, and there are many risk factors for infection. After the occurrence of HAI, it not only increases the suffering and economic burden of patients and the workload of medical staff but also prolongs the hospitalization time of patients, reduces the turnover rate of hospital beds, causes unnecessary economic losses, and affects the social and economic benefits of hospitals. Based on this, this paper proposes to analyze the risk factors of nosocomial infection in patients undergoing thoracic surgery, so as to provide a reference for the prevention or control of nosocomial infection. This paper analyzes the actual situation of nosocomial infection in a city hospital and then uses meta-analysis to determine the factors of nosocomial infection from the perspective of relevant research literature. Meta-analysis results show that patients older than 60 years have twice the risk of postoperative infection compared with patients younger than 60 years.

Robotic Assisted-Bronchoscopy With Cone-Beam CT ICG Dye Marking for Lung Nodule Localization: Experience Beyond USA

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB)-guided indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence dye marking of subsolid, small and deep lung lesions facilitates subsequent minimally invasive lung resection surgeries. The novel robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) platform can improve the accuracy and yield of ENB biopsy, and the use of RAB has been extended to ICG dye marking. However, performing this procedure in the hybrid operating room guided by cone-beam CT (CBCT) with immediate proceed to lung surgery has not been well reported. We studied the safety, feasibility and clinical outcomes of 5 consecutive cases performed between December 2021 and March 2022. Navigation success was 100% while localization success using ICG was 80%. The benefits and pitfalls of robotic bronchoscopy procedures, and challenges of combining with hybrid operating room CBCT were discussed in detail. In conclusion, robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is a promising and useful tool for ICG fluorescence dye-marking, providing accurate navigation, superior maneuverability and improved ergonomics compared to conventional bronchoscopy-guided ENB procedures. Learning curve is reasonable, but meticulous system set up to incorporate the robotic system into existing CBCT platform may be required to ensure a smooth procedure.

Lung nodule radio-guided localization and uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resection

Since the introduction of lung nodule radio-guided localization, multiport video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resection has been widely described. To date, only one series has reported the use of uniportal approach. Our objective is to describe the experience of a single institution of lung nodule radio-guided localization and uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resection. Retrospective cohort study based on data from medical records of patients between May 2012 and April 2019. Twenty-four patients were included, 13 were women (54.2%) with a median age of 59.5 years (range 19 and 81 years). Median nodule size was 7 mm (range 3-12 mm) and 19 (79.2%) patients had single lung nodule. The main indication was sub-centimetric nodule in 22 (91.6%) patients followed by a deep localization in 10 (41.6%) patients and sub-solid nodule in 9 (37.5%) patients. Median surgical time was 102.5 min (range 55-160 min). 4 (16.6%) patients had malignant neoplasm of the lung, 10 (41.7%) patients had lung metastases and 10 (41.7%) patients had benign lung lesions. The success rate found was 95.8%. Concordance analysis between palpation of the pulmonary nodule and the presence of the nodule in the histopathology was rated as poor, kappa value - 0.71 (P = 0.186) and between the resection of the pulmonary nodule according to the presence of the nodule in the pathology report was rated as good, Kappa value 0.625 (P = 0.001). Lung nodule radio-guided localization and uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resection has a similar success rate and complications to those described by multiport video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resections.

A Blueprint for Success: Design and Implementation of an Ideal Bronchoscopy Suite

Bronchoscopy is essential to the practice of pulmonary medicine. It is an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool for many disease processes. Bronchoscopy can be performed in a variety of clinical settings, from the bedside to an operating room. Although bronchoscopy has been practiced for more than a century, consensus recommendations from stakeholders have yet to be developed for the planning, implementation, and construction of a bronchoscopy suite. A wide range of procedures can be performed via bronchoscopy; therefore, the required tools and the procedure area must be aligned with the needs of the facility. Designing a bronchoscopy suite is by no means a "one size fits all" process. We present an overview of critical features to be considered in the planning for an ideal bronchoscopy suite. We use the term "ideal" because it represents a subjective conception of what is perfect and does not convey a rigid, universal blueprint.

Devising the guidelines: the techniques of pulmonary nodule localization in uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery-hybrid operating room in the future

Pulmonary nodules beneath the pleura can be hard to visualize or palpate, especially during the uniportal thoracoscopic surgery. Conventionally, thoracic surgeons would use adjuvant modalities to localize the lesion preoperatively, of which computed tomography-guided hookwire implantation has been adopted most widely due to its feasibility and high success rate. However, procedure-associated complications such as pneumothorax and wire dislodgement can cause patient discomfort or localization failure. Occasionally more healthy tissue is resected than needed to guarantee the lesion is removed and with an adequate margin. A thoracotomy is necessary for specific scenario. With the development of imaging technology, it is now possible to replace the traditional workflow carried out in the radiology suite by centralizing the hookwire placement and uniportal minimally-invasive pulmonary resection inside the hybrid theater which equipped with advanced imaging devices. Theoretically, the advanced intra-operative imaging-guided techniques help to precisely locate and resection pulmonary lesion in a potentially tissue-sparing and quick paradigm.

Placement of markers to assist minimally invasive resection of peripheral lung lesions

With development of lung cancer screening programs and increased utilization of radiographic imaging there is significantly higher detection of smaller lung nodules and subsolid lesions. These nodules could be malignant and pose a diagnostic challenge. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) represent minimally invasive methods for tissue sampling. Intraoperative identification of these lesions maybe difficult, requiring marking prior to surgery. We review different techniques for the placement of markers to assist in the resection of peripheral lung lesions (PLL).

Individualized Strategies for Intraoperative Localization of Non-palpable Pulmonary Nodules in a Hybrid Operating Room

Background: Precise preoperative localization of small pulmonary nodules is a key prerequisite to their successful excision. With the advent of hybrid operating rooms (HORs), a patient-tailored approach encompassing simultaneous localization and removal of small pulmonary nodules has become feasible. In this study, we describe our individualized image-guided video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (iVATS) strategies implemented within a HOR environment. Specifically, localization was performed through different marking approaches (single- vs. double-marker) and access routes [percutaneous technique with Dyna-computed tomography (DynaCT) imaging vs. electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB)]. Methods: Between April 2017 and November 2018, a total of 159 consecutive patients (harboring 174 pulmonary nodules) were treated with iVATS. The marking approach and access route were individually tailored according to lesion localization and its distance from the pleural surface. The efficacy and safety of our iVATS technique were determined through a retrospective review of clinical charts. Results: All of the localization procedures were performed in a HOR by a single team of thoracic surgeons. The mean tumor size on preoperative CT was 8.28 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.6-8.96 mm), whereas their mean distance from the pleural surface was 9.44 mm (95% CI: 8.11-10.77 mm). Of the 174 tumors, 150 were localized through a percutaneous DynaCT-guided approach (single-marker: 139, dual-marker: 11), whereas localization in the remaining 24 was accomplished via the ENB-guided approach (single-marker: 4; dual-marker: 20). The mean localization time was 17.78 min (95% CI:16.17-19.39 min). The overall localization success rate was 95.9%. We failed to localize a total of seven nodules either because of technical complications (pneumothorax, n = 3; microcoil dislodgement; n = 1) or machine failure (n = 3). No operative deaths were observed, and the mean length of postoperative stay was 3.65 days (95% CI: 3.19-4.11 days). Conclusions: The use of tailored marking approaches and access routes allowed us to individualize the iVATS procedure for small pulmonary nodules, ultimately promoting a more patient-centered workflow.

[Advancement of Common Localization of Solitary Pulmonary Nodules for Video-assisted Thracoscopic Surgery]

最近，伴随着高分辨多层电子计算机断层扫描（computed tomography, CT）的大量普及，肺小结节的诊断也日益增多，尤其是在伴有肺癌高危因素的患者行CT筛查时尤为明显。电视辅助胸腔镜手术对于肺小结节的诊断和治疗提供了一种全新的微创治疗方式，胸腔镜手术后给患者带来的疼痛感减少、住院时间缩短、手术并发症减少等特点，使其推广更为广泛。如何精准定位及标记病灶，以助电视胸腔镜下切除病灶的方法层出不穷。本文综述近年来胸腔镜下肺小结节定位的各种技术手段，并对各种方法的利弊进行总结及分析。

Combined virtual-assisted lung mapping (VAL-MAP) with CT-guided localization in thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Virtual assisted lung mapping (VAL-MAP) is a bronchoscopic lung marking technique developed to assist in navigational lung resection. It can be used for nodule localization and segmental identification. This article presents our initial experience of thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy using combined VAL-MAP and computed tomography (CT)-guided localization.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Markings with India Ink were made bronchoscopically, before surgery, using a virtual bronchoscopy system (LungPoint® Planner) without fluoroscopy guidance. Post VAL-MAP CT scans localized the actual markings. All data on patients, markings, and outcomes were retrospectively collected, and the contribution of VAL-MAP to the operation was graded by the surgeon.

RESULTS

From March 2017 to September 2017, 24 consecutive patients received the VAL-MAP marking procedure before thoracoscopic segmentectomy. Nineteen patients also received pre-operative CT-guided percutaneous localization after VAL-MAP; fifteen patients received CT-guided localization with dye (patent blue V) and microcoil, and four patients received with dye only. Of the 101 marking attempts made in all the patients, 71 (70.3%) were identified as contributing to the surgery. No clinically evident complications were associated with the procedure. A total of 24 segmentectomies were thoracoscopically conducted for 18 cases of lung cancer and six cases of benign diseases.

CONCLUSION

The combination of VAL-MAP and CT-guided percutaneous localization contribute to precise thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy.

Catheter-based alternative treatment for early-stage lung cancer with a high-risk for morbidity

The mainstream treatment modality for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is surgery; however, many patients are deemed inoperable and warrant alternative therapeutic options. Several minimally invasive catheter-based therapies are emerging as viable alternatives. In this review, we evaluate the outcomes from radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), cryoablation (CRA) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) for early-stage lung cancer. Novel technical developments have allowed for endobronchial thermal ablation to be conducted in a hybrid theatre setting, which may optimize treatment outcomes and minimise treatment-related complications.

Novel techniques for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy

Small lung cancers are being increasing diagnosed because of advances in computed tomography (CT) and low-dose CT screening. Sublobar resection of peripheral, small lung nodules, such as ground-glass nodules, is a useful therapeutic option that obtains both a pathological diagnosis and radical cure. Lung segmentectomy is a better option than wedge resection for securing a sufficient surgical margin and can also be used to assess hilar nodes. Anatomical segmentectomy, however, is a technically more complicated operative procedure than standard lobectomy. We describe the issues and novel techniques of video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy.