Comparison of 30-Day Outcomes Between Thoracoscopic and Open Lobectomy for Congenital Pulmonary Lesions

Thoracoscopic versus thoracotomy lobectomy in children with congenital lung lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Thoracoscopic lobectomy is always compared with open thoracotomy in congenital lung lesions with no definitive results. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the clinical outcomes of thoracoscopic versus thoracotomy lobectomy in children.

METHODS

The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed were searched. A meta-analysis was used to analyse and compare the operating time, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications, such as wound infections and respiratory issues, in thoracoscopic and thoracotomy lobectomy.

RESULTS

Two thousand and ninety five paediatric patients were analysed over 17 studies (1 ambidirectional cohort study and 16 retrospective studies). Of these patients, 903 and 1192 had undergone thoracoscopic lobectomy and thoracotomy, respectively. There was a significant lower incidence of overall and respiratory complications and longer operative time for thoracoscopic lobectomy compared with thoracotomy in children; however, pooling the results for the two methods revealed no significant difference in wound infection or length of hospital stay.

CONCLUSION

Thoracoscopic lobectomy offers the benefit of having fewer overall and respiratory complications than thoracotomy. It did not, however, clearly outperform open surgery in terms of operative time, wound infection, or postoperative hospitalization.

Comparison of Endobronchial Intubation Versus Bronchial Blockade for Elective Pulmonary Lobectomy of Congenital Lung Anomalies in Small Children

Purpose: Resection of many congenital lung lesions is commonly performed under single-lung ventilation, which helps collapse the lung being manipulated and enables a thoracoscopic approach in most cases. We set out to determine whether lung isolation achieved by either main stem intubation or usage of a bronchial blocker was associated with superior clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all patients aged <2 years undergoing elective pulmonary lobectomy for congenital lung malformations at a tertiary-care pediatric hospital from 2011 through 2020 was performed. Demographic data, diagnosis type, type of lung isolation method employed, and perioperative outcomes were recorded. Continuous variables were analyzed with Student's t-tests, whereas categorical variables were analyzed with Fisher's exact tests and chi-square tests. Results: Thirty-two patients were analyzed-17 were managed with a bronchial blocker while 15 underwent main stem intubation. The most common diagnoses were congenital pulmonary airway malformations (53.1%) and intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestrations (34.4%). Patients managed with main stem intubation were slightly younger (P = .06) than those for which a bronchial blocker was used. Thirty-one (96.9%) resections were initiated thoracoscopically. Main stem intubation was associated with shorter operative times (P = .01), shorter anesthetic times (P = .02), and less blood loss (P = .04). No differences in length of stay (P = .64), conversation to thoracotomy (P = .35), intraoperative complications (P = .23), or postoperative complications (P = .49) were observed. Conclusion: Lung isolation through main stem intubation, when compared with bronchial blockers, is associated with shorter operative time, shorter anesthetic exposure, and diminished blood loss in pediatric patients undergoing lobectomy for congenital lung anomalies.

Thoracoscopic versus open lobectomy in infants with congenital lung malformations: A multi-institutional propensity score analysis

PURPOSE

The impact of thoracoscopic surgery on outcomes in children with congenital lung malformations (CLM) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of operative approach on perioperative outcomes in infants undergoing lobectomy for an asymptomatic CLM.

METHODS

After IRB approval, a retrospective cohort study was conducted on 506 children with a CLM resected at one of eleven children's hospitals over a seven-year period. Infants undergoing elective lobectomy were identified, and covariates were balanced based on operative approach using propensity scores with full matching. Outcomes were analyzed based on intention to treat with weighted conditional regression.

RESULTS

One hundred seventy-five infants met inclusion criteria. There were 67 (38.3%) open, 89 (50.9%) thoracoscopic, and 19 (10.9%) thoracoscopic-converted-to-open lobectomies. Thoracoscopic lobectomy was associated with significantly longer operative times (26 min, 95% CI 6-47 min, p = 0.012) but used less epidural anesthesia (OR 0.02, 95% CI 0.004-0.11, p<0.001) when compared to open lobectomy. There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, chest tube duration, or length of stay.

CONCLUSIONS

Thoracoscopy has become the most common operative approach for elective lobectomy in infants with asymptomatic CLMs. The non-inferiority of thoracoscopic lobectomy in postoperative outcomes supports its continued use as an alternative to open lobectomy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Treatment study, Level III.

Pediatric thyroglossal duct cyst excision: A NSQIP-P analysis of 30-day complications

OBJECTIVE

Identify and compare clinical risk factors, perioperative sequelae, and surgical complications of infants age 2 or younger to children above age 2 undergoing thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) excision.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement-Pediatric Database (2014-2018). Study population includes pediatric patients (≤18 years) who underwent excision of TGDC. Infants aged 2 years or younger were compared to children older than 2 years.

RESULTS

A total of 3052 cases were identified. There were 375 infants with an age of 2 years or younger and 2977 children who were older than 2 years. Mean age at time of surgery was 6.3 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 1:1.1. Following hospital discharge, there were 70 related readmissions and 3 related reoperations. There was no statistically significant gender (p = .270) or ethnic (p = .122) differences between groups. Additionally, a history of prematurity (p = .759) and postoperative admission status (ie, inpatient versus outpatient, p = .697) were not statistically significantly different between groups. Lastly, general complication rates between age groups including Clostridium difficile colitis, occurrences of bleeding and blood transfusion, surgical site infections, related readmission, and reoperation were not statistically significantly different.

CONCLUSION

TGDC excision was not shown to be associated with increased risk when performed in infants age 2 or younger compared to children older than age 2.

Is thoracoscopy superior to thoracotomy in the treatment of congenital lung malformations? An updated meta-analysis

Background:

A meta-analysis was performed for a comparison of outcomes between video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and thoracotomy for congenital lung malformations (CLM).

Methods:

Electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched systematically for literature aimed mainly at reporting the therapeutic effects for CLM administrated by VATS and thoracotomy.

Results:

A total of 40 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included, involving 2896 subjects. VATS was associated with fewer complications [odds ratio (OR) 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.42–0.69], less use of epidural anesthesia (OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.03–0.23), shorter length of hospital stay [standard mean difference (SMD) −0.98; 95% CI, −1.4 to −0.55] and chest drainage (SMD, −0.43; 95% CI, −0.7 to −0.17), as compared with thoracotomy. However, thoracotomy showed superiority in reduced operative time (SMD, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.04–0.84). Pearson analysis (Pearson r = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.98, p = 0.01) and linear regression (R square 0.73) confirmed a positive correlation between percentage of symptomatic cases and conversion in patients using VATS.

Conclusion:

VATS is associated with fewer complications, less use of epidural anesthesia, shorter length of stay and length of chest drainage, but longer operative time, as compared with thoracotomy. Symptomatic patients with CLM using VATS may be prone to conversion to thoracotomy.

The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

Development of a multi-institutional registry for children with operative congenital lung malformations

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-institutional registry to characterize the demographics, management, and outcomes of a contemporary cohort of children undergoing congenital lung malformation (CLM) resection.

METHODS

After central reliance IRB approval, a web-based, secure database was created to capture retrospective cohort data on pathologically-confirmed CLMs performed between 2009 and 2015 within a multi-institutional research collaborative.

RESULTS

Eleven children's hospitals contributed 506 patients. Among 344 prenatally diagnosed lesions, the congenital pulmonary airway malformation volume ratio was measured in 49.1%, and fetal MRI was performed in 34.3%. One hundred thirty-four (26.7%) children had respiratory symptoms at birth. Fifty-eight (11.6%) underwent neonatal resection, 322 (64.1%) had surgery at 1-12 months, and 122 (24.3%) had operations after 12 months. The median age at resection was 6.7 months (interquartile range, 3.6-11.4). Among 230 elective lobectomies performed in asymptomatic patients, thoracoscopy was successfully utilized in 102 (44.3%), but there was substantial variation across centers. The most common lesions were congenital pulmonary airway malformation (n = 234, 47.3%) and intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration (n = 106, 21.4%).

CONCLUSION

This multicenter cohort study on operative CLMs highlights marked disease heterogeneity and substantial practice variation in preoperative evaluation and operative management. Future registry studies are planned to help establish evidence-based guidelines to optimize the care of these patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level II.

Lateral cervical abscesses: NSQIP-P perspective on length of stay, readmission, and reoperation

OBJECTIVES

Identify risk factors and determine perioperative sequelae of children undergoing lateral cervical abscess incision and drainage.

METHODS

Pediatric patients who underwent lateral cervical abscess incision and drainage aged 1-18 years were retrospectively queried via ACS-NSQIP-P (2012-2016) utilizing CPT code 21501. Analyzed outcomes include age, time to surgery, operative time, total length of stay, readmission, and reoperation.

RESULTS

A total of 1917 children were identified, with a mean age at time of surgery of 4.05 years (95% CI 3.86-4.25). The mean number of days from hospital admission to operative intervention was 1.24 days (95% CI 1.16-1.31), with a mean total length of stay of 3.64 days (95% CI 3.46-3.82). The mean number of days from hospital admission to surgery was significantly lengthened in younger children (P = .0001) and pediatric patients of non-Caucasian origin (P < 0.001). Children with positive septic parameters not only had a prolonged time to surgery but also a significantly prolonged total length of stay (P < 0.001). Finally, a persistent requirement for postoperative mechanical ventilation and prolonged operative time (P = 0.003) was found to be related to reoperation.

CONCLUSION

Younger children are more likely to have delays from hospital admission to definitive surgical intervention, but this does not appear to affect total length of stay. Recognition of pertinent clinical factors may assist in optimizing perioperative risk assessment and promote timely procedural planning in the pediatric subpopulation.

Pediatric Thyroidectomy: NSQIP-P Analysis of Adverse Perioperative Outcomes

Background:

This study identifies risk factors and 30-day adverse outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing thyroidectomy.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement–Pediatric Database (2015-2016). Study population includes pediatric patients (≤18 years) who underwent hemithyroidectomy (HT), total thyroidectomy (TT), and total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection (TT+ND).

Results:

A total of 720 cases were identified; mean age at time of surgery was 14.1 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 3.4:1. Following hospital discharge, there were 10 related readmissions, with 1 patient requiring reoperation for neck hematoma evacuation. Regression analysis revealed anesthesia time had a significant impact on total length of stay ( P = .0020).

Conclusion:

Contemporary pediatric thyroidectomy has a low incidence of 30-day general surgical postoperative complications. Future research efforts are necessary once thyroidectomy specific variables are incorporated into ACS-NSQIP-P, which will provide further insights into managing this unique patient population.

Congenital Choanal Atresia Repair: An Analysis of Adverse Perioperative Events

Objectives

To identify risk factors and determine the perioperative morbidity of infants undergoing congenital choanal atresia (CCA) repair.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis of the ACS-NSQIP-P database (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement–Pediatric).

Setting

Tertiary medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Patients who underwent CCA repair at age ≤365 days at the time of surgery were queried via the ACS-NSQIP-P database (2013-2016) via Current Procedural Terminology code 30540. Analyzed outcomes include age, length of stay, medical comorbidities, operative time, readmission, reoperation, and postoperative complications.

Results

A total of 168 patients were identified, 70 of which were within the neonatal period. Preoperatively, gastrointestinal disease ( P < .0001), mechanical ventilation ( P < .0001), and oxygen supplementation ( P = .0040) were significantly greater in frequency among neonates. For all children preoperatively, ASA class ( P < .0001), chronic lung disease ( P = .0019), oxygen supplementation ( P < .0001), and prematurity ( P = .0016) had a significant impact on prolonged length of stay. Neonates had a persistent requirement for postoperative mechanical ventilation ( P < .0001) and a prolonged length of stay ( P < .00001).

Conclusion

Neonates undergoing CCA repair are more likely to have a persistent requirement for postoperative mechanical ventilation and a prolonged length of stay. Recognition of key clinical factors may aid in optimizing perioperative risk assessment, patient counseling, and procedural planning.

An Analysis of Safety and Adverse Events Following Cochlear Implantation in Children Under 12 Months of Age

OBJECTIVE

To determine perioperative morbidity of children ≤12 months undergoing cochlear implantation (CI).

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective analysis using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric Database (ACS-NSQIP-P).

SETTING

General acute care children's hospitals, children's hospitals within larger hospitals, specialty children's hospitals, and general acute care hospitals with a pediatric wing.

PATIENTS

Children who underwent CI were queried using the ACS-NSQIP-P from 2012 to 2015.

INTERVENTION

Cochlear implantation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Risk factors analyzed include age, prematurity, and presence of congenital disorders. Outcomes analyzed include operative time, length of stay, general surgical complications, readmissions, and related reoperations.

RESULTS

Over the database accrual period, the percentage of children ≤12 months at the time of surgery increased from 2012 to 2015 (6.08-7.78%, p = 0.0752). Total operative time, length of stay (≥1 d), and readmissions for those ≤12 months were significantly greater compared with those >12 months at the time of surgery (p < 0.001, p = 0.0037, and p < 0.0001, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in general surgical complications (i.e., superficial incisional surgical site infections, organ/space surgical site infections, and/or unplanned reoperations) in cases ≤12 months. Complications specific to CI such as facial nerve paralysis, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and mastoiditis were not recorded in the ACS-NSQIP-P.

CONCLUSION

Infants had no more general surgical complications in the immediate postoperative period compared with older children, although total operative time, length of stay, and readmissions were found to be significantly greater in frequency.

The first 100 infant thoracoscopic lobectomies: Observations through the learning curve and comparison to open lobectomy

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to describe our initial 100 attempted infant thoracoscopic lobectomies for asymptomatic, prenatally diagnosed lung lesions, and compare the results to contemporaneous age-matched patients undergoing open lobectomy.

BACKGROUND

Infant thoracoscopic lobectomy is a technically challenging procedure, which has only gained acceptance worldwide in recent years.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of all patients undergoing thoracoscopic or open lung lobectomy between March 2005 and January 2014. Included were all asymptomatic infants younger than 4months. Excluded were patients undergoing emergent lobectomy and patients with isolated extralobar bronchopulmonary sequestrations.

RESULTS

A total of 100 attempted thoracoscopic lobectomies were compared with 188 open lobectomies. In the thoracoscopic group, mean age and weight at surgery were 7.3weeks and 4.8kg, mean operative time was 185minutes, and mean hospital stay was 3days. Twelve cases were converted to open (12%). Ten conversions occurred within the first third of the series and none in the last third. There were no mortalities. There were no differences between the thoracoscopic and open groups in perioperative complications or hospital stay. There was a significant difference in the operative time: 111minutes vs. 185minutes (open vs. thoracoscopic; p<0.001). There was a higher mean end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and lower mean peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) in the thoracoscopic group versus the open group (51.7 versus 38.6mmHg and 97.5 versus 99.1%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In high volume centers, the learning curve of thoracoscopic lobectomy can be overcome and the procedure can be performed with equivalent outcomes and, in our opinion, superior cosmetic results to open lobectomy.