Factors influencing the length of stay after mediastinal tumor resection in the setting of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)-TUBELESS protocol

Development and validation of a novel nomogram to predict the risk of the prolonged postoperative length of stay for lumbar spinal stenosis patients

BACKGROUND

Lumber spinal stenosis (LSS) is the increasingly reason for spine surgery for elder patients since China is facing the fastest-growing aging population. The aim of this research was to create a model to predict the probabilities of requiring a prolonged postoperative length of stay (PLOS) for lumbar spinal stenosis patients, minimizing the healthcare burden.

METHODS

A total of 540 LSS patients were enrolled in this project. The outcome was a prolonged PLOS after spine surgery, defined as hospitalizations ≥ 75th percentile for PLOS, including the day of discharge. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to identify independent risk variables related to prolonged PLOS. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to generate a prediction model utilizing the variables employed in the LASSO approach. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve's area under the curve (AUC) and the calibration curve's respective curves were used to further validate the model's calibration with predictability and discriminative capabilities. By using decision curve analysis, the resulting model's clinical effectiveness was assessed.

RESULTS

Among 540 individuals, 344 had PLOS that was within the usual range of P75 (8 days), according to the interquartile range of PLOS, and 196 had PLOS that was above the normal range of P75 (prolonged PLOS). Four variables were incorporated into the predictive model, named: transfusion, operation duration, blood loss and involved spine segments. A great difference in clinical scores can be found between the two groups (P < 0.001). In the development set, the model's AUC for predicting prolonged PLOS was 0.812 (95% CI: 0.768-0.859), while in the validation set, it was 0.830 (95% CI: 0.753-0.881). The calibration plots for the probability showed coherence between the expected probability and the actual probability both in the development set and validation set respectively. When intervention was chosen at the potential threshold of 2%, analysis of the decision curve revealed that the model was more clinically effective.

CONCLUSIONS

The individualized prediction nomogram incorporating five common clinical features for LSS patients undergoing surgery can be suitably used to smooth early identification and improve screening of patients at higher risk of prolonged PLOS and minimize health care.

Experience of a modified chest tube suture-fixation technique in uniportal thoracoscopic pulmonary resection

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the feasibility and advantages of a modified chest tube suture-fixation technique in uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery for pulmonary resection.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 116 patients who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) for lung diseases in Zhengzhou People's Hospital between October 2019 and October 2021. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the applied suture-fixation methods, i.e., 72 patients in the active group and 44 patients in the control group. The two groups were subsequently compared in the terms of gender, age, operation method, indwelling time of chest tube, postoperative pain score, chest tube removal time, wound healing grade, length of hospital stay, incision healing grade, and patient satisfaction.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender, age, operation method, indwelling time of chest tube, postoperative pain score, and length of hospital stay (P = 0.167, 0.185, 0.085, 0.051, 0.927, and 0.362, respectively). However, the chest tube removal time, incision healing grade, and incision scar satisfaction in the active group were significantly better compared with those of the control group (P = < 0.001, 0.033, and < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In summary, the new suture-fixation approach can minimize the number of stitches, and time necessary for chest tube removal process, and avoid the pain experienced when removing the drainage tube. This method is more feasible, has better incision conditions, and provides a convenient tube removal, making it more suitable to patients.

Radical resection of solitary tracheal extramedullary plasmacytoma under non-intubated anesthesia: a case report

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is an uncommon monoclonal plasma cell malignancy that arises outside of the bone marrow. Rarely, EMPs can occur in the trachea, resulting in severe respiratory distress. Due to a small number of cases, the optimal management of tracheal EMP remains a topic of debate. Here, we report a rare case of solitary tracheal EMP causing symptoms of cough, sputum, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and progressive exertional dyspnea in a 65-year-old male patient. Computerized tomography and fibro bronchoscopy indicated a pedicled nodular mass on the anterior tracheal wall obstructing over 95% of the lumen. The patient was soon successfully managed with partial tracheal resection and reconstruction surgery under non-intubated anesthesia and was diagnosed as EMP by histopathology of the resected mass. Additional laboratory tests excluded the diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM). There are no signs of recurrence after 6 months of follow-up. Although traditional intubated anesthesia with single-lung mechanical ventilation has been widely applied to radical surgery for tracheal tumors, it is associated with a higher incidence of intubation-related complications and thus prolongs the surgical procedure and postoperative recovery. In this article, we reported the application of tracheal resection and reconstruction under non-intubated anesthesia for the treatment of tracheal EMP, which was proved to be feasible and safe. Non-intubated anesthesia for tracheal resection and reconstruction is likely to be an alternative minimally invasive option for patients with tracheal EMP involving central airways.