Lung segmentectomy assisted by highly selective independent segmental ventilation: a series of three cases

The application of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging to determine intersegmental plane during thoracoscopic segmentectomy: A meta-analysis and systematic review

To investigate whether the application of intravenous indocyanine green fluorescence imaging(ICG-FI) had advantage in intersegmental plane visualization and perioperative outcome than using traditional inflation-deflation method(control group) in thoracoscopic segmentectomy. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and CNKI Database to include comparative studies focusing on the comparisons of ICG-FI and control, up to December 2022. We used standard mean differences (SMD, continuous variables) or risk ratios (RR, categorical variables) with their corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) were used to assess pooled effects. This analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. Total, seven published studies with 905 patients (ICG-FI group n = 428, control group n = 477) were included for further analysis. The ICG-FI group was significantly associated with less bleeding during the surgery (SMD = -0.23,95 % CI: -0.08∼-0.38, P < 0.05), shorter surgery time (SMD = -0.87, 95 % CI: -1.75∼-0.17, P < 0.05) and intersegmental boundary line (IBL) presentation time (SMD = -4.50, 95 % CI: -4.97∼-4.07, P < 0.01). The ICG-FI group had shorter postoperative hospitalization time (SMD = -0.18, 95 % CI: -0.34∼-0.03), P < 0.05), and the drainage duration (SMD = -0.18, 95 % CI: -0.34∼-0.03,P < 0.05) than that in the control group. The ICG-FI group also showed the less postoperative complications (RR = 0.75, 95 % CI: 0.64-0.88). There were no significant differences in the number of lymph node resection. No significant publication bias were found in this analysis. Compared with inflation-deflation method, application of ICG-FI in thoracoscopic segmentectomy could reduce operation time, IBL presentation time, length of hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, and overall complication incidence.

A novel technique proposition for determining the resection margins in lung resection by using a thermal camera

OBJECTIVES

Determination of resection margins is very important in anatomical lung resections for both oncologic outcomes and postoperative complications. Absence of intersegmental plans naturally in segmentectomy surgeries and presence of incomplete fissure variationally in pulmonary lobectomy procedures constitute a challenge for surgeons in determining resection margins. Thoracic surgeons can prefer various techniques such as inflation deflation method, indocyanine green imaging, and three-dimensional segment modeling to cope with this problem. These techniques have some disadvantages such as high cost, the necessity of intravenous drug administration, need for an additional imaging system and ineffectiveness due to emphysema, anthracotic lung surface or interalveolar pores. Here we studied an alternative method for the solution of these disadvantages and aimed to demonstrate the correctness of a hypothesis based on detecting the cooling of the ischemic lung portion by a thermal camera after dividing the related pulmonary artery.

METHODS

We planned determining margins of resection with a thermal camera in patients scheduled for pulmonary lobectomy or segmentectomy. We made some measurements and mapping with a thermal camera before and after the dividing of pulmonary artery of related lobe or segment then processed the images taken with a software on the computer.

RESULTS

We detected a significant decrease in temperature in the ischemic lung area and demonstrated mapping the demarcation line between ischemic and perfused areas effectively by thermography in a total of 32 patients underwent lung resection.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary resection margins can be detected effectively by thermography in patients.

Intraoperative Identification of the Intersegmental Plane: From the Beginning to the Future

Segmentectomy has played a crucial role in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer after the publication of JCOG0802, which indicated that patients with small-sized peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer could receive better survival from segmentectomy than lobectomy despite a higher local recurrence. The intraoperative identification of the intersegmental plane ensures complete resection of the lesion with sufficient margin so that it is deemed as the critical part of segmentectomy. Diverse methods have been developed to acquire distinguishable and lasting borderline between segments, but none of them is proved perfect. In this review, we searched and classified these techniques that emerged from the beginning when segmentectomy was used for bronchiectasis until now. Comparisons between different ways in mechanisms, facility, and safety were made to depict a comprehensive landscape for surgeons to select fit one. Furthermore, we presented our vision for the future of intersegmental plane identification.