Robotically enhanced mediastinal teratoma resection: a case report and review of the literature

Teratoma extragonadal del omento mayor, una localización poco usual: reporte de caso y revisión de la literatura

Introducción. Los teratomas son masas de células totipotenciales, frecuentes en los ovarios o testículos. Su localización extragonadal es rara, siendo el epiplón aún más infrecuente. Hasta la actualidad se conocen aproximadamente 34 casos similares en la literatura. Presentación del caso. Se presenta una paciente de 61 años, con dolor en hemiabdomen inferior asociado a sensación de masa, con marcadores tumorales negativos e imágenes diagnósticas que muestran una masa encapsulada y calcificación anular interna sugestiva de necrosis grasa antigua versus tumor desmoide. Por la presentación clínica y los hallazgos imagenológicos se decide llevar a laparotomía exploratoria donde se encuentra masa quística dependiente de epiplón, con material sebáceo en su interior entremezclado con pelo y fragmentos óseos, que se reseca en bloque sin complicaciones. El informe del estudio histopatológico finalmente concluyó la presencia de un teratoma quístico maduro con cambios degenerativos. Por evolución satisfactoria se da egreso hospitalario. Discusión. El teratoma quístico extragonadal del epiplón es exótico en la literatura mundial, con escasos reportes de casos. En este caso, la resección mediante laparotomía resultó exitosa y sin complicaciones. Por su baja incidencia, la laparotomía ha sido una opción válida y segura para el manejo, no obstante conocer el caso permite plantear un abordaje con técnicas mínimamente invasivas.

Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal masses: a single-institution experience

Background

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) using the da Vinci robotic system for mediastinal mass resection and to describe the surgical approach for masses in different mediastinal regions.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data from 84 patients who underwent RATS for resection of a mediastinal mass from June 2015 to April 2019. The results were analyzed with descriptive statistics.

Results

The mediastinal mass was resected successfully in all patients, with one patient requiring conversion to conventional open surgery. There were no intraoperative complications. The most common diagnoses were thymoma (n=17), bronchogenic cyst (n=16), and schwannoma (n=12). The surgical approach was determined by the location of the lesion and the planned extent of surgical resection. Resection was performed in the lateral decubitus position in 29 patients with posterior mediastinal tumor, semi-lateral decubitus position in 42 patients who only need resection of anterior mediastinal mass, and reverse Trendelenburg position in 13 patients undergoing thymectomy. The mean (± standard deviation) operation time was 91.86±56.42 min, duration of chest tube use was 1.83±0.93 days, and postoperative hospital stay was 3.62±7.52 days. Three patients (3.5%) developed postoperative complications: one chylous fistula, which required reoperation, and one case each of atrial fibrillation and pulmonary infection, which were treated conservatively.

Conclusions

Our experience demonstrated that different surgical approaches of RATS are safe and feasible for mediastinal mass resection. An appropriate approach can be selected based on the mediastinal region in which the tumor is located.

Evaluation of surgical procedures in primary mediastinal cysts and tumors: single-center experience

Aim

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the results of our patients with a primary mediastinal mass and the surgical techniques applied in our clinic retrospectively.

Material and methods

Between March 2015 and March 2019, the results and treatment protocols of 32 patients with a primary mediastinal mass or cysts who were followed up and treated in our clinic were evaluated retrospectively. Twenty-six patients who underwent surgery for biopsy or resection were included in the study.

Results

Sixteen of our patients were male and 10 were female. The mean age was 39 years. 80.2% of our patients were symptomatic and 19.2% were asymptomatic and a mediastinal mass was incidentally detected in these asymptomatic patients. The most common symptom was dyspnea with frequency of 38.4%. In terms of localization, the mass was lateralized on the right side in 7 patients, on the left side in 5 patients. In 13 patients, the tumor was located in the posterior mediastinum. 8 patients underwent anterior mediastinotomy and 1 patient underwent biopsy with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Most commonly a thymus-derived mass was seen. Fifteen patients underwent excision with VATS, 3 thoracotomy, 2 sternotomy and in 1 patient VATS assisted anterior minithoracotomy was performed.

Conclusions

Mediastinal tumors and cysts have different histopathological features. Robotic surgery and VATS-assisted surgery are increasingly used in surgical excision.

Compare the prognosis of Da Vinci robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for non-small cell lung cancer: A Meta-analysis

To determine if there are advantages to transitioning to Da Vinci robotics by a surgeon compared to the video-assisted thoracic surgical lobectomy.A systematic electronic search of online electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library updated on December 2017. Publications on comparison Da Vinci-robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for non-small cell lung cancer were collected. Meta-analysis RevMan 5.3 software (The Cochrane collaboration, Oxford, UK) was used to analyze the combined pooled HRs using fixed or random-effects models according to the heterogeneity.Fourteen retrospective cohort studies were included. No statistical difference was found between the 2 groups with respect to conversion to open, dissected lymph nodes number, hospitalization time after surgery, duration of surgery, drainage volume after surgery, prolonged air leak, and morbidity (P > .05).Da Vinci-RATS lobectomy is a feasible and safe technique and can achieve an equivalent surgical efficacy when compared with VATS. There does not seem to be a significant advantage for an established VATS lobectomy surgeon to transition to robotics based on clinical outcomes.

Three-dimensional video-assisted thoracic surgery for pulmonary resections: an update

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) allows to treat pulmonary and mediastinal diseases although two-dimensional (2D) imaging can make difficult to estimate the morphological and topographical characteristics of a lesion. Some technical aspects have certainly been corrected with the introduction of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), although not widespread in less economically developed countries. As an emerging imaging system and technique, 3D VATS is an interesting resource for thoracic surgeons and it may be a proper and valid aid in minimally-invasive surgery, but not an alternative or a compromise to the most expensive robotic technology. The purpose of the study was to carefully analyze the different experiences reported in literature in order to evaluate the state of art of 3D VATS method in lung excision.