Anaesthesiology for uniportal VATS: double lumen, single lumen and tubeless

Small incisions still require great anesthesia: anesthesiology techniques to enhance recovery in robotic coronary bypass grafting

Robotic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive surgical technique for the treatment of coronary artery disease. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the anesthetic management for robotic CABG. Challenges associated with robotic CABG are discussed and various anesthetic techniques, perioperative elements and pain management modalities that can contribute to enhanced patient recovery are explored.

Effect of lung isolation with different airway devices on postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a propensity score-matched study

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pneumonia is one of the common complications after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. There is no related study on the effect of lung isolation with different airway devices on postoperative pneumonia. Therefore, in this study, the propensity score matching method was used to retrospectively explore the effects of different lung isolation methods on postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

METHODS

This is A single-center, retrospective, propensity score-matched study. The information of patients who underwent VATS in Weifang People 's Hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 was retrospectively included. The patients were divided into three groups according to the airway device used in thoracoscopic surgery: laryngeal mask combined with bronchial blocker group (LM + BB group), tracheal tube combined with bronchial blocker group (TT + BB group) and double-lumen endobronchial tube group (DLT group). The main outcome was the incidence of pneumonia within 7 days after surgery; the secondary outcome were hospitalization time and hospitalization expenses. Patients in the three groups were matched using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching analysis, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pneumonia and hospitalization time among the three groups (P > 0.05), but there was significant difference in hospitalization expenses among the three groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant difference in the effect of different intubation lung isolation methods on postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.

Double Lumen Endobronchial Tube Placement for Lung Separation via a Tracheostomy Stoma in a Patient Status-Post Laryngectomy

A 63-year-old male with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx status-post laryngectomy and tracheostomy presented for a robotic-assisted right upper lobectomy for neoplasm excision. On physical examination, he was noted to have moderate hypoxia with an SpO₂ of 93% on room air. In order to facilitate potential apneic oxygen insufflation and continuous positive airway pressure in the operative lung, a traditional left-sided 35-French double-lumen endobronchial tube was placed through his tracheostomy, and utilized to facilitate lung separation and to improve surgical manipulation. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was extubated to a tracheostomy collar with a 100% fraction of inspired oxygen delivered with 15 liters per minute of flow.

Sufentanil, dexmedetomidine combined with surface anesthesia for awake fiberoptic nasotracheal intubation in the patient with severe mouth opening difficulty undergoing wedge resection of the right upper lung: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Severe mouth opening difficulty may increase the risk of airway management during anesthesia induction, and awake fiberoptic nasotracheal intubation (AFNI) is the first option for patients with orofacial anatomical changes.

CASE SUMMARY

A 54-year-old man was scheduled to undergo wedge resection of the right upper lung in August 2021. The patient had a history of enlarged right maxillary lesion resection and partial right maxillary resection surgery in April 2020, which led to orofacial anatomical changes and severe mouth opening difficulty. To avoid difficult airway-related emergency scenarios, the AFNI was successfully performed through intravenous injection of sufentanil and dexmedetomidine combined with lidocaine topical anesthesia under a conscious state without any uncomfortable feeling or complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravenous injection of sufentanil and dexmedetomidine combined with lidocaine topical anesthesia can be used as an alternative medication scheme to relieve uncomfortable suffering for AFNI in patients with severe mouth opening difficulty.

Opioid-sparing anesthesia with dexmedetomidine provides stable hemodynamic and short hospital stay in non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a propensity score matching cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Dexmedetomidine is an alpha-2 agonist with anti-anxiety, sedative, and analgesic effects and causes a lesser degree of respiratory depression. We hypothesized that the use of dexmedetomidine in non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) may reduce opioid-related complications such as postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), dyspnea, constipation, dizziness, skin itching, and cause minimal respiratory depression, and stable hemodynamic status.

METHODS

Patients who underwent non-intubated VATS lung wedge resection with propofol combined with dexmedetomidine (group D) or alfentanil (group O) between December 2016 and May 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective propensity score matching cohort study. Intraoperative vital signs, arterial blood gas data, perioperative results and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Of 100 patients included in the study (group D, 50 and group O, 50 patients), group D had a significantly lower degree of decrement in the heart rate and the blood pressure than group O. Intraoperative one-lung arterial blood gas revealed lower pH and significant ETCO₂. The common opioid-related side effects, including PONV, dyspnea, constipation, dizziness, and skin itching, all of which occurred more frequently in group O than in group D. Patients in group O had significantly longer postoperative hospital stay and total hospital stay than group D, which might be due to opioid-related side effects postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of dexmedetomidine in non-intubated VATS resulted in a significant reduction in perioperative opioid-related complications and maintenance with acceptable hemodynamic performance. These clinical outcomes found in our retrospective study may enhance patient satisfaction and shorten the hospital stay.

A propensity sore-matched study: Applying a modified chest tube drainage strategy in rapid rehabilitation following uni-portal thoracoscopic pulmonary wedge resection

PURPOSE

This study aimed to compare the value of a modified chest tube drainage strategy to a traditional drainage strategy in single-port thoracoscopic pulmonary wedge resection.

METHODS

From January 2019 to July 2021, we collected clinical data on 405 patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic pulmonary wedge resection in the No.1 Department of Thoracic Surgery at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, with 121 (29.9%) cases in the modified drainage strategy group and 284 (70.1%) cases in the traditional drainage strategy group. The propensity score matching method (Match Ratio = 1:1) was used to reduce differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups.

RESULTS

Following 1:1 propensity score matching, 120 matched pairs (240 patients) were included in the study. There was no significant difference in general clinical characteristics between the two groups. There was no statistical difference in intraoperative factors except for operative times (71.42 ± 22.98 min vs. 86.80 ± 36.75 min, p < 0.001). In terms of postoperative factors, there were significant differences in postoperative chest tube duration (0.00 ± 0.00 h vs. 32.68 ± 18.51 h, p < 0.001), total drainage volume (143.03 ± 118.33 ml vs. 187.73 ± 140.82 ml, p = 0.008), postoperative hospital stay (2.61 ± 0.70 days vs. 3.27 ± 1.88 days, p < 0.001), number of additional pain relief (0.14 ± 0.40 vs. 0.42 ± 0.74, p < 0.001), facial pain score (2.7 ± 1.8 vs. 3.6 ± 2.7, p = 0.005) and adverse events (p = 0.046). Furthermore, there was a statistical difference between the two groups regarding CTCAE grade-1 complication, but no statistical difference in CTCAE grade-2 complication.

CONCLUSIONS

A modified drainage strategy in single-port thoracoscopic pulmonary wedge resection is safe and feasible, allowing for less postoperative rehabilitation time, pain relief, reduced postoperative pleural effusion, and reduced clinical workload.

Combined use of a Total Control Introducer and a hyperangulated video laryngoscope to place a left-sided double lumen endotracheal tube in a patient with a history of difficult laryngoscopy

We describe the use of a Total Control Introducer (TCI) in combination with video laryngoscopy (VL) to place a left-sided double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLT) in a patient with a history of difficult laryngoscopy undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). VL was used to obtain visualisation of the glottis and a TCI articulating introducer was used to dynamically navigate the airway and access the trachea. A 39 French DLT was subsequently passed over the TCI shaft and into the trachea under indirect visualisation. The TCI shaft was removed and the DLT was gently guided into the left main bronchus. Successful endobronchial intubation was confirmed with capnography, auscultation and fibreoptic bronchoscopy. We propose that the combined use of VL and a TCI can facilitate placement of a DLT in a patient with a known difficult airway who may otherwise be limited to a bronchial blocker placement for lung isolation during VATS.

Combined utility of one lung ventilation and artificial pneumothorax in thermal ablation of hepatic dome tumor: a technical note

Radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation are established treatment modalities for smaller (<3 cm) or isolated hepatic tumors. Transthoracic ablation of hepatic dome lesions is a well described technique. We report the use of one lung ventilation to facilitate the successful percutaneous transthoracic microwave ablation of a segment 8 hepatic dome lesion after induction of artificial pneumothorax. This involved the use of general anesthesia and insertion of a double lumen endotracheal tube to allow isolated ventilation of one lung, followed by creation of an artificial pneumothorax under computed tomography (CT) guidance. Complete ablation of the lesion was confirmed on CT liver at 1 and 7 months with no local recurrence. The combined techniques of one lung ventilation and artificial pneumothorax enabled a safe and accurate transthoracic targeting of the hepatic dome lesion.

Cloward’s approach for Pancoast neurogenic tumors: illustrative cases

BACKGROUND

Pancoast tumors are a wide range of tumors located in the apex of the lung. Traditional surgery for Pancoast neurogenic tumors frequently involves extensive approaches, whether anterior or posterior or a combination, in which osteotomies are sometimes required. In this study, the authors proposed a less invasive surgical strategy using the standard Cloward’s approach for complete resection of a schwannoma arising from the T1 nerve root.

OBSERVATIONS

Two patients, each harboring a large T1 tumor, one on each side, underwent Cloward’s approach with and without thoracoscopic surgery. Both patients had complete resection of the tumor. Considering the benign and encapsulated nature of neurogenic tumors, Cloward’s approach under neuromonitoring, which is a common procedure for anterior cervical discectomy for most neurosurgeons, is a safe and less invasive alternative for Pancoast neurogenic tumors. For patients whose tumor cannot be removed completely via Cloward’s approach, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a viable backup plan with minimal invasiveness.

LESSONS

Cloward’s approach is a viable option for Pancoast neurogenic tumors.

Tubeless video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in mediastinal tumor resection

Background

It has been reported that tubeless video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (tubeless-VATS) is feasible and safe for thoracic diseases. Herein, we compared the early outcomes of mediastinal lesion resection between the tubeless and traditional VATS.

Methods

Clinical data of all patients who underwent thoracoscopic mediastinal tumor resection were retrospectively collected. The study involved two groups: tubeless and traditional VATS group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to eliminate the population bias. Intraoperative and postoperative variables were compared among matched cohorts.

Results

In total, 43 patients in the tubeless group and 231 patients in the traditional VATS group were included. After 1:1 PSM, baseline characteristics were comparable. Anesthesia time (177.63 vs. 202.53 min; P=0.004) was shorter in tubeless group, while operation time (90.95 vs. 101.47 min; P=0.109) was similar. Overall, the total postoperative morbidity rate was similar in the two groups (15% vs. 12.5%; P=0.556). Specially, 4/43 patients in tubeless VATS group need to be re-put chest tubes postoperatively. A significant lower similar level of visual analogue scale score was observed in tubeless VATS group (1.73±0.48 vs. 3.41±0.87, P<0.001) in postoperative day 1. Meanwhile, the number of patients using postoperative opioid analgesia was also lower in tubeless VATS group (22.88% vs. 48.38%, P=0.016). Furthermore, hospital duration after surgery (2.58 vs. 5.47 days; P=0.002) was shorter in tubeless group.

Conclusions

Compared with traditional VATS, tubeless VATS for mediastinal tumor may shorten the anesthesia time, decrease postoperative pain and fasten postoperative recovery in carefully selected patients.

Comparative study between local anesthesia and general anesthesia in the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Background

There is increasing interest in non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). At present, this method is used in various types of thoracic surgery. Especially, simple wedge resection via VATS is thought to be an optimal indication of non-intubated VATS. This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of VATS bullectomy under local anesthesia by comparison with bullectomy under general anesthesia.

Methods

A total of 183 cases of wedge resection under general anesthesia and 52 cases of wedge resection under local anesthesia were examined. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to assess the feasibility, usability, and cost effectiveness of wedge resection under local anesthesia. The preoperative clinical parameters, including age, sex, and the number of pneumothorax episodes and previous operations, were used to match cases and controls.

Results

There were no significant differences between the local and general anesthesia groups in operative time (57.5±23.1 and 56.6±25.6 min, respectively; P=0.857), type of operation [single-incision thoracoscopic surgery (SITS), n=48 and n=47, respectively; multi-port-VATS (M-VATS), n=4 and n=5, respectively; P=0.730], or chest tube indwelling time (3.6±1.5 and 4.4±2.5 days, respectively; P=0.064). The mean times from arrival at the operating room (OR) to skin incision (16.4±12.3 and 46.4±17.2 min, respectively; P<0.001), and from the end of surgery to arrival at the general ward (36.0±25.6 and 58.1±20.9 min, respectively; P<0.001) were significantly shorter in the local anesthesia group than the general anesthesia group. The total cost was significantly lower in the local anesthesia group than in the general anesthesia group (4,890.6±717.1 and 5,739.1±1,154.6, respectively; P<0.001).

Conclusions

Local anesthesia shortened the overall hospital stay by reducing the interval between admission and surgery, allowing immediate ambulation after surgery. In addition, this method reduced costs by avoiding the need for anesthesia.