Outpatient thoracoscopy: safety and practical considerations

NCCP-ICS joint consensus-based clinical practice guidelines on medical thoracoscopy

ABSTRACT

Medical Thoracoscopy (MT) is commonly performed by respiratory physicians for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. The aim of the study was to provide evidence-based information regarding all aspects of MT, both as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic aid for pulmonologists across India. The consensus-based guidelines were formulated based on a multistep process using a set of 31 questions. A systematic search of published randomized controlled clinical trials, open labelled studies, case reports and guidelines from electronic databases, like PubMed, EmBase and Cochrane, was performed. The modified grade system was used (1, 2, 3 or usual practice point) to classify the quality of available evidence. Then, a multitude of factors were taken into account, such as volume of evidence, applicability and practicality for implementation to the target population and then strength of recommendation was finalized. MT helps to improve diagnosis and patient management, with reduced risk of post procedure complications. Trainees should perform at least 20 medical thoracoscopy procedures. The diagnostic yield of both rigid and semirigid techniques is comparable. Sterile-graded talc is the ideal agent for chemical pleurodesis. The consensus statement will help pulmonologists to adopt best evidence-based practices during MT for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Feasibility and Efficacy of a Non-Opioid Based Pain Management After Medical Thoracoscopy

BACKGROUND

Prescription opioids are a major cause of the opioid epidemic. Despite the minimally invasive nature of medical thoracoscopy (MT), data on the efficacy of non-opioid-based pain control after MT is lacking. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a non-opioid-based pain management strategy in patients who underwent MT.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent MT in the Mayo Clinic (Minnesota and Arizona) outpatient setting. We assessed their pain level and the need for analgesia post-MT from August 1, 2019, to May 24, 2021.

RESULTS

Forty patients were included. In the first 24 hours, 5/40 (12.5%) reported no pain. Twenty-eight patients out of 40 (70%) reported minor pain (pain scale 1-3), and 7/40 (17.5%) reported moderate pain (pain scale 4-6). No patients reported severe pain. Twenty-two out of 35 patients who experienced discomfort (63%) required acetaminophen, 6/35 patients (17%) required nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and 7/35 patients (20%) did not require analgesia. Of the 7 patients who had moderate pain, 5 (71%) reported that the moderate pain improved to mild at 72 hours post-MT. Zero patients required opioids, and none reported contacting any provider to manage the pain post-MT. Fourteen patients (78%) who had both parietal pleural biopsies and tunneled pleural catheter placed reported minor pain, 3 patients (17%) reported moderate pain, and 1 patient (6%) experienced no discomfort.

CONCLUSION

MT is well-tolerated by patients with non-opioid-based pain management strategy as needed if there is no absolute contraindication.

Comparison of Diagnostic Yield and Complications in Ultrasound-Guided Closed Pleural Biopsy Versus Thoracoscopic Pleural Biopsy in Undiagnosed Exudative Pleural Effusion

Introduction

Malignancy, tuberculosis, and non-tubercular pleural infections account for most exudative pleural effusion. Pleural fluid cytology, biochemical tests and even pleural fluid cell block studies may fail to yield a diagnosis in certain cases. Medical thoracoscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of unexplained pleural effusions. However, access to medical thoracoscopy may be limited, particularly in developing countries. Also, certain patients may not be fit to undergo the procedure because of medical conditions. An ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy is an option in such conditions. The present study is intended to compare the diagnostic yield and complications of both methods of pleural biopsy in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion under a randomized controlled trial.

Method

After fulfilling all the inclusion criteria, participants were randomized to either ultrasound-guided closed pleural biopsy or thoracoscopic-guided pleural biopsy groups. The primary outcome was to compare the diagnostic yield of ultrasound-guided Tru-Cut® (Newtech Medical Devices, Faridabad, India) closed pleural biopsy versus thoracoscopic pleural biopsy, and the secondary outcomes were to compare the complications rate, duration of the procedure, and hospital stay in the patients undergoing ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy versus thoracoscopic pleural biopsy, and predictors of a positive biopsy result in both groups.

Result

A total of 118 patients with pleural effusion were screened; 39 of them who were eligible, randomized into the ultrasound group (20 patients) and the thoracoscopic group (19 patients). The median age of participants was 53.5 (50-58) years and 55 (45-64) years in the ultrasound and thoracoscopic groups, respectively. Pleural fluid cell count, protein, adenosine deaminase (ADA), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were similar in both groups, although pleural fluid glucose was low in the ultrasound group. Diagnostic yield was 90% (18/20) and 94.7% (18/19) in the ultrasound and thoracoscopic groups, respectively, which was statistically non-significant (p=0.963). The median duration of hospital stay was 9.5 (5.3-27) days and 15 (12-22) days in ultrasound and thoracoscopic groups respectively. The thoracoscopic group had a more prolonged stay compared to the ultrasound group, but it was statistically non-significant (p=0.09). The duration of the procedure was significantly longer in the thoracoscopic group 90 (85-105) minutes, in comparison to ultrasound 47.5 (41.3-55) minutes (p=0.001). No major complications were seen in both groups. Subcutaneous emphysema was the most common complication in the thoracoscopic group (10%), followed by hemorrhage (5.3%), and respiratory failure (5.3%). Hypotension was the only complication in the ultrasound group (5%). The rate of complications was significantly higher in the thoracoscopic group (p<0.01).

Conclusion

Ultrasound-guided closed pleural biopsy is as good as thoracoscopic pleural biopsy in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion. It was associated with a shorter procedure duration, a shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications as compared to thoracoscopic biopsy. Both the procedures were safe in experienced hands and a hospital setup, but the thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was associated with complications.

Review of the Physiology and Anesthetic Considerations for Pleuroscopy/Medical Thoracoscopy

Pleuroscopy or medical thoracoscopy is the second most common utilized procedure after bronchoscopy in the promising field of interventional pulmonology. Its main application is for the diagnosis and management of benign or malignant pleural effusions. Entry into the hemithorax is associated with pain and patient discomfort, whereas concurrently, notable pathophysiologic alterations occur. Therefore, frequently procedural sedation and analgesia is needed, not only to alleviate the patient's emotional stress and discomfort by mitigating the anxiety and minimizing the pain but also for yielding better procedural conditions for the operator. The scope of this review is to present the physiologic derangements occurring in pleuroscopy and compare the various anesthetic techniques and sedative agents that are currently being used in this context.

Uniportal VATS pleural biopsy in the diagnosis of exudative pleural effusion: awake or intubated?

Background

The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with awake VATS (AVATS) pleural biopsy in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions.

Methods

The diagnostic efficacy of pleural biopsy by uniportal VATS under general anesthesia or AVATS under local anesthesia and sedation performed by the same surgeon in patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. Test sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were compared as well as age, gender, comorbidities, procedure safety, additional pleural-based interventions, duration time of operation and length of hospital stay.

Results

Of 154 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion, 113 (73.37%) underwent pleural biopsy and drainage with VATS, while 41 (26.62%) underwent AVATS pleural biopsy. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 92, 100, 100, and 85.71% for VATS, and 83.3, 100, 100, and 78.9% for AVATS, respectively. There was no significant difference in diagnostic test performance between the groups, (p = 0.219). There was no difference in the rate of complications [15 VATS (13.3) versus 4 AVATS (9.8%), p = 0.557]. Considering additional pleural-based interventions, while pleural decortication was performed in 13 (11.5%) cases in the VATS group, no pleural decortication was performed in AVATS group, (p = 0.021). AVATS group was associated with shorter duration time of operation than VATS (22.17 + 6.57 min. Versus 51.93 + 8.85 min., p < 0.001). Length of hospital stay was relatively shorter in AVATS but this was not statistically significant different (p = 0.063).

Conclusions

Our study revealed that uniportal AVATS pleural biopsy has a similar diagnostic efficacy and safety profile with VATS in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion who have a high risk of general anesthesia due to advanced age and comorbidities. Accordingly, uniportal AVATS pleural biopsy may be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of all exudative undiagnosed pleural effusions.

The shift from inpatient to outpatient hysterectomy for endometrial cancer in the United States: trends, enabling factors, cost, and safety

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate trends in outpatient versus inpatient hysterectomy for endometrial cancer and assess enabling factors, cost and safety.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, patients aged 18 years or older who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer between January 2008 and September 2015 were identified in the Premier Healthcare Database. The surgical approach for hysterectomy was classified as open/abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic or robotic assisted. We described trends in surgical setting, perioperative costs and safety. The impact of patient, provider and hospital characteristics on outpatient migration was assessed using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

We identified 41 246 patients who met inclusion criteria. During the time period studied, we observed a 41.3% shift from inpatient to outpatient hysterectomy (p<0.0001), an increase in robotic hysterectomy, and a decrease in abdominal hysterectomy. The robotic hysterectomy approach, more recent procedure (year), and mid-sized hospital were factors that enabled outpatient hysterectomies; while abdominal hysterectomy, older age, Medicare insurance, black ethnicity, higher number of comorbidities, and concomitant procedures were associated with an inpatient setting. The shift towards outpatient hysterectomy led to a $2500 savings per case during the study period, in parallel to the increased robotic hysterectomy rates (p<0.001). The post-discharge 30-day readmission and complications rate after outpatient hysterectomy remained stable at around 2%.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant shift from inpatient to outpatient setting was observed for hysterectomies performed for endometrial cancer over time. Minimally invasive surgery, particularly the robotic approach, facilitated this migration, preserving clinical outcomes and leading to reduction in costs.

Medical thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of pleural disease: a guide for the clinician

INTRODUCTION

Developing a feasible and accurate means of evaluating pleural pathology has been an ongoing effort for over 150 years. Pleural fluid cellular and biomarker analyses are simple ways of characterizing and uncovering pathologic entities of pleural disease. However, obtaining samples of pleural tissue has become increasingly important. In cases of suspected malignancy and certain infections histopathology, culture, and molecular testing are necessary to profile diseases more effectively. The pleura is sampled via several techniques including blind transthoracic biopsy, image-guided biopsy, and surgical thoracotomy. Given the heterogeneity of pleural disease, low diagnostic yields, or invasiveness no procedural gold standard has been established in pleural diagnostics.

AREAS COVERED

Herein, we provide a review of the literature on medical thoracoscopy (MT), its development, technical approach, indications, risks, current and future role in the evaluation of thoracic disease. Pubmed was searched for articles published on MT, awake thoracoscopy, and pleuroscopy with a focus on reviewing literature published in the past 5 years.

EXPERT OPINION

As the proficiency and number of interventional pulmonologists continues to grow, MT is ideally positioned to become a front-line diagnostic tool in pleural disease and play an increasingly prominent role in the treatment algorithm of various pleural pathologies.

Pleuroscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for exudative pleural effusion: a comparative overview

Exudative pleural effusions, such as malignant and tuberculous pleural effusions, are associated with notable morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, a significant number of these effusions will remain undiagnosed despite thoracentesis. Traditionally, closed pleural biopsies have been the next best diagnostic step, but the diagnostic yield of blind closed pleural biopsies for malignant pleural effusions is insufficient. When image-guided targeted biopsies are not possible, both pleuroscopy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery are reasonable options for obtaining pleural biopsies, but the decision to select one procedure over the other continues to raise much debate. Pleuroscopy (aka. medical thoracoscopy, local anaesthetic thoracoscopy) is a relatively common procedure performed by interventional pulmonologists in the bronchoscopy suite with local anesthesia, often as an outpatient procedure, on spontaneously breathing patients. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, on the other hand, is performed by thoracic surgeons in the operating room, on mechanically ventilated patients under general anesthesia, though admittedly considerable overlap exists in practice. Both pleuroscopy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery have reported diagnostic yields of over 90%, although pleuroscopy more often leads to the unsatisfactory diagnosis of 'non-specific' pleuritis. These cases of 'non-specific' pleuritis need to be followed up for at least one year, as 10-15% of them will eventually lead to the diagnosis of cancer, typically malignant pleural mesothelioma. Both procedures have their pros and cons, and it is therefore of paramount importance that all cases be discussed as part of a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis within a "pleural team" that should ideally include interventional pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons.

New trends in interventional pulmonology

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

As the field of interventional pulmonology continues to expand and develop at a rapid pace, anesthesiologists are increasingly called upon to provide well tolerated anesthetic care during these procedures. These patients may not be candidates for surgical treatment and often have multiple comorbidities. It is important for anesthesiologists to familiarize themselves with these procedures and their associated risks and complications.

RECENT FINDINGS

The scope of the interventional pulmonologist's practice is varied and includes both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Bronchial thermoplasty is now offered as endoscopic treatment of severe asthma. Endobronchial lung volume reduction procedures are currently undergoing clinical trials and may become more commonplace. Interventional pulmonologists are performing medical thoracoscopy for the treatment and diagnosis of pleural disorders. Interventional radiologists are performing complex pulmonary procedures, often requiring anesthesia.

SUMMARY

The review summarizes the procedures now commonly performed by interventional pulmonologists and interventional radiologists. It discusses the anesthetic considerations for and common complications of these procedures to prepare anesthesiologists to safely care for these patients. Investigational techniques are also described.

Medical thoracoscopy and its evolving role in the diagnosis and treatment of pleural disease

Establishing the etiology of exudative pleural effusions in the setting of an unrevealing pleural fluid analysis often requires biopsies from the parietal pleura. While closed pleural biopsy (CPB) has been a popular minimally-invasive approach, it has a poor diagnostic yield, barring a diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Medical thoracoscopy (MT) is a minimally-invasive ambulatory procedure performed under local anesthesia or moderate sedation which allows for direct visualization of biopsy targets as well as simultaneous therapeutic interventions, including chemical pleurodesis and indwelling tunneled pleural catheter (ITPC) placement. The excellent yield and favorable safety profile of MT has led to it replacing CPB for many indications, particularly in the management of suspected malignant pleural effusions. As experience with MT amongst interventional pulmonologists has grown, there is an increased appreciation for its important role alongside percutaneous and surgical approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of pleural disease.