Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for stage I lung cancer

BACKGROUND: The technique, safety, and oncologic efficacy of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy are controversial. Issues include operative time, lymph node yield, conversion to thoracotomy, resource utilization, recurrence, complications, and survival. METHODS: From January 1995 to December 2001, 179 patients underwent VATS lobectomy for preoperative stage I lung cancer (T1N0, 118 patients; T2N0, 61 patients). Mean age was 64.34 years (range, 38 to 87); 91 were female and 88 were male. Contraindications to VATS lobectomy included any suggestion of hilar, endobronchial, or central lesions. Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy was performed using three ports, partial anatomic hilar dissection, and mediastinal node dissection. RESULTS: Distribution of lobectomies was as follows: left upper lobe, 50 patients; left lower lobe, 27 patients; right upper lobe, 33 patients; right upper and right middle lobe, 29 patients; right middle lobe, 9 patients; right lower lobe, 30 patients; right middle lobe and right lower lobe, 1 patient. Mean operative time was 75 +/- 6 minutes. Mean lymph node yield was 11 +/- 5 nodes. Pathologic upstaging was noted in 14 of the 179 patients (7.8%). Mean hospitalization was 4.1 days (range, 2 days to 4 months). There were no conversions to thoracotomy and there was 1 death (1 of 179, 0.05%). Complications included air leak in 24 of 179 (13.4%), subcutaneous emphysema in 4 of 179 (2.2%), pneumonia in 10 of 179 (5.6%), wound infection in 5 of 179 (2.8%), respiratory failure in 3 of 179 (1.7%), pulmonary embolism in 2 of 179 (1.1%), and myocardial infarction in 1 of 179 (0.5%). At a mean follow-up of 37 months, local recurrence rate was 0.013 per person per year. Actuarial recurrence-free survival was 88% and 85% at 36 and 60 months respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For carefully selected patients VATS lobectomy for early stage lung cancer is a safe and effective strategy. Long-term follow-up is required to fully evaluate recurrence and survival.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is currently accepted as an appropriate procedure for selected patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Evidence has demonstrated that VATS lobectomy is not only a safe and feasible technique, it provides better functional recovery and oncological efficacy similar to that achieved with conventional thoracotomy. However, there are still ongoing issues concerning VATS in terms of terminology, oncological efficacy, functional recovery, benefit of screening detected lung cancer, and its role in limited resection. As the number of VATS procedures are increasing and VATS is becoming a dominant procedural choice, it would be wise to collect evidence and come to a consensus to justify the expansion of surgical indications for VATS.     

518例早期肺癌的电视胸腔镜肺叶切除术

目的 探讨采用电视胸腔镜手术(VATS)治疗早期肺癌的理论依据和实践规范,分析影响预后的相关因素.方法 1997年5月至2009年10月,518例早期肺癌患者行VATS肺叶切除术中男297例,女221例;平均年龄(58.9±10.6)岁.结果 术后并发症和手术死亡分别为10.8％和0.4％.患者年龄(P=0.0300,OR=2.0148,95％ CI 1.0700～3.7940)和手术时间(P =0.0007,OR=1.0086,95％ CI 1.0036～1.0136)是影响术后并发症发生率的独立危险因素.1、3、5年总生存率为98％、81％、66％,术后病理分期(P=0.0036,OR=1.6071,95％ CI 1.1677 ～2.2118)是惟一的影响因素.结论VATS肺叶切除术是治疗早期肺癌的一种安全手术方式.对于高龄患者应慎重;手术时间不宜过长;合理处理意外状况、必要时应果断中转开胸有助于降低手术风险.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer

Objective|The objective of this study was to confirm the safety and feasibility of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for primary lung cancer and to compare prognoses with that of conventional procedures, and then to examine whether VATS would supplant a conventional thoracotomy for stage I lung cancer. Methods: From September 1995 through March 2002, 144 patients with primary lung cancer, included 118 patients with postoperative state I, underwent VATS lobectomy. We reviewed the previous cases whether they could be candidates for VATS lobectomy according to present indications. 166 cases were supposed to be candidates for VATS, and 121 cases of postoperative stage I disease were recruited into the “conventional thoracotomy” group. Results: There was no mortality or major complication except one case, and mean follow-up was 31.8 months in VATS. The number of removed lymph nodes was not significantly less than the number by conventional thoractomy (p=0.061). Five-year survival for patients with pathological stage IA adenocarcinoma was 92.4% (n=66) in VATS and 86.9% (n=50) in conventional thoracotomy, and a statistical significance could not be recognized (p=0.980). The length of hospital stay was significantly short in VATS lobectomy (p<0.0001). Conclusions: VATS lobectomy for stage I lung cancer can be performed safely with minimal morbidity, satisfying survival comparable with that of lobectomy through conventional thoractomy. VATS approach is a feasible surgical technique for patients with stage I lung cancer.     

微小N2非小细胞肺癌胸腔镜肺叶切除与同期开胸手术对照研究

目的 研究分析临床分期Ⅰ期接受胸腔镜肺叶切除,术中意外发现微小纵隔淋巴结转移(N2)的非小细胞肺癌患者的近、远期预后.方法 回顾性分析2004年1月至2007年12月术前诊断为早期非小细胞肺癌(cT1-2N0M0,Ⅰ期),而术中或术后意外发现微小纵隔淋巴结转移(pT1-2N2M0,Ⅲa期)患者263例的临床资料.全部患者接受肺叶切除术+系统淋巴结清扫根治性治疗.其中接受胸腔镜肺叶切除术63例(腔镜组),男性37例,女性26例,平均年龄(58±11)岁.同期接受开胸肺叶切除术治疗的为200例(开胸组),男性132例,女性68例,平均年龄(59±11)岁.对比上述两组患者的临床特征及近、远期预后.结果 全部263例患者平均生存时间(34.9±1.2)个月,中位生存时间31个月.腔镜组平均生存时间(40.3±2.2)个月,中位生存时间37个月;开胸组平均生存时间(33.1±1.3)个月,中位生存时间29个月.全部患者1、2、3年生存率为92.0%、57.4%、29.3%,腔镜组1、2、3年生存率为92.1%、82.5%、41.3%,开胸组1、2、3年生存率为92.0%、49.5%、25.5%,两组间差异有统计学意义(x2=5.58,P=0.018).结论 VATS肺叶切除治疗微小N2非小细胞肺癌是安全、有效的.患者经过术前严格的评估,手术中出现意料之外的纵隔淋巴结转移,通过系统的淋巴结清扫后没有必要中转开胸完成手术.

Abstract：

Objective To assess early and late outcomes of patients with minimal mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis N2 non-small cell lung cancer disease unexpectedly detected during the operation, who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for clinical stage I. Methods This study retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the medical records of 263 patients underwent surgery between January 2004 and December 2007, who were diagnosed as having early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (clinical stage was cT1-2N0M0, stage Ⅰ) before the surgery, but were found to have mini mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis disease (clinical stage was pTI-2N2M0, stage Ⅲa) unexpectedly detected during the operation and after the operation. All patients underwent lobectomy and systematic lymph nodes dissection as radical treatments. Among them, 63 patients underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy,including 37 male patients (58. 7%) with a mean age of (58 ± 11) years old. Two hundred patients underwent open thoracotomy lobectomy, including 132 male patients (66%) with a mean age of (59 ± 11) years old. To compare and analyze clinical features, early and late outcomes of patients in these two groups.Results A total of 263 patients with an average survival time (34. 9 ± 1.2) months (median 31 months),63 cases in VATS lobectomy group with an average survival time (40. 3± 2. 2) months (median 37 months), 200 cases in open pulmonary lobectomy group with an average survival time (33.1 ±1.3)months (median 29 months). The 1 -, 2-, 3-year over survival rate of all the patients was 92.0%, 57.4%,29. 3%. The 1-, 2-, 3-year survival rate of patients in VATS lobectomy group was 92. 1%, 82. 5%,41.3%. The 1,2,3 year survival rate of patients in thoracotomy lobectomy group was 92. 0%, 49. 5%,25.5%. There was significant difference between the two groups in this factor (x2 =5.58, P =0.018).     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy reduces the morbidity after surgery for stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: We conducted this study to evaluate the surgical invasiveness and the safety of video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for stage I lung cancer. Methods: Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomies were performed on 43 patients with clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer. We compared the surgical invasiveness parameters with 42 patients who underwent lobectomy by conventional thoracotomy. Results: Intraoperative blood loss was significantly less than that in the conventional thoracotomy group (151±149 vs. 362±321 g, p<0.01). Chest tube duration (3.0±2.1 vs. 3.9±1.9 days) was significantly shorter than those in the conventional thoracotomy group (p<0.05). The visual analog scale which was evaluated as postoperative pain level on postoperative day 7, maximum white blood count and C-reactive protein level were significantly lower than those in the conventional thoracotomy group (p<0.05). The morbidity rate was significantly lower than that in the conventional thoracotomy group (25.6% vs. 47.6%, p<0.05). Sputum retention and arrhythmia were significantly less frequent than in the conventional thoracotomy group (p<0.05). We experienced no operative deaths in both groups. Conclusion: We conclude that video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients is a less invasive and safer procedure with a lower morbidity rate compared with lobectomy by thoracotomy.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery for metachronous lung cancer

Of 1,391 patients who underwent operation for primary lung cancer between 2000 and 2009, 50 patients (3.6%) had a past history of pulmonary resection for lung cancer. Three patients underwent completion pneumonectomy by thoracotomy and in the other 47 patients video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was performed. We considered 42 cases (3 of completion pneumonectomy and 39 of VATS) to be metachronous lung cancer and 8 cases of VATS to be recurrence by detailed histologic assessment. We examined 39 cases of metachronous lung cancer resected by VATS. The patients were aged 68 +/- 8 years and 4 patients were aged 80-years or more. The surgical procedures performed were lobectomy in 4 patients, segmentectomy in 3, and wedge resection in 40. The operation time was 121 +/- 66 minutes and the blood loss was 67 +/- 140 ml. There were no major complications. We registered 6 deaths during follow-up; 3 were due to disease progression and 3 were due to other causes. The survival rate of the 42 patients including 3 patients who underwent completion pneumonectomy was 74.9% at 5 years. Early detection of metachronous lung cancer and surgical resection offers a favorable prognosis.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung cancer in a patient with complete situs inversus

Complete situs inversus is a rare abnormality of autosomal recessive inheritance; it requires particular care during surgery, because the viscus anatomy is a mirror image of the normal anatomy. Reports of surgery for lung cancer in cases of complete situs inversus are very rare. Here, we report a case of lobectomy for lung cancer of the right lower lobe performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in a patient with complete situs inversus. We emphasize the importance of careful examination of the relationship between the bronchus, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary vein in the hilum of the lung in cases of complete situs inversus requiring lung resection for cancer; this is even more necessary when VATS is performed.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for pulmonary sequestration

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare developmental abnormality, and the patients usually present with recurrent pneumonia. We report a case of video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy in a 32-year-old woman with an intrapulmonary sequestration in the left lower lobe.     

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer

Since 1990s, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has become a standard procedure for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. However, VATS lobectomies are less common, and no randomized controlled trial of VATS versus conventional open lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer has been performed in Japan. Furthermore, VATS lobectomy procedures are not standardized in Japan, and may vary by institution or by practitioner, which complicates their evaluation. Although VATS procedures (such as pneumonectomy, bronchoplasty, and chest wall resection) have been reportedly performed for patients with advanced disease, whether VATS could be a standard modality for advanced lung cancer is unclear from an oncological perspective. Until recently, VATS lobectomies commonly used three or four ports to conduct systemic lymph node dissection; however, VATS lobectomies with reduced port have been recently reported. This article reviews current trends in VATS lobectomy procedures.     

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy for stage I lung cancer

The literature shows that, in the hands of experienced thoracoscopic surgeons, VL is a safe operation that offers patients at least comparable complication and survival rates compared with lobectomy by thoracotomy. VL can be performed safely with proven advantages over conventional thoracotomy for lobectomy: smaller incisions, decreased postoperative pain, decreased LOS, decreased chest tube output and duration, decreased blood loss, better preservation of pulmonary function, and earlier return to normal activities. These results are obtained without sacrificing the oncologic principles of thoracic surgery, and, in fact, the evidence in the literature is mounting that VATS may offer reduced rates of complications and better survival.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy (VATS), open thoracotomy, and the robot for lung cancer

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy provides a minimally invasive approach for the management of early-stage lung cancer. Questions about the safety of VATS lobectomy and its adequacy as a cancer operation compared with open thoracotomy have hindered its universal acceptance among thoracic surgeons. Evidence suggests that VATS lobectomy can be safely performed and is an adequate cancer operation for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. However, adequately powered well-balanced studies comparing VATS with open thoracotomy for lobectomy are lacking in the literature.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgical lobectomy in conjunction with lymphadenectomy for lung cancer

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has been in widespread use since the beginning of the 1990s. The initial indications for VATS were benign lesions of the lung, pneumothorax, benign tumors, etc. However, its application was extended to resection of lung cancer. We first gained experience with VATS lobectomy in September 1992, and also started performing lymphadenectomy using VATS in November 1993 after developing instruments for this meticulous operation. The 8-year survival rate of final stage IA lung cancers following VATS is 97.2%; this survival rate is significantly better than that with open thoracotomy. Here we report on our 10-year experience with VATS lobectomy, focusing on stage I lung cancer.     

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy for lung carcinoma

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been utilized worldwide for the treatment of various types of thoracic disease, in particular for lung carcinoma. The following criteria are accepted as the operative indications for VATS lobectomy: i) clinical T1N1M0: ii) tumor located in the peripheral zone; and iii) non-small cell carcinoma. Videoscopic surgery has the merit of being less invasive, resulting in a low level of postoperative chest pain, short incisional scar, and short duration of hospital stay. Right-side upper mediastinal lymph node dissection is easy under the thoracoscope, although compared with standard thoracotomy it is not always possible to perform complete level II dissection on the left, because of the difficult approach to lymph nodess No. 3 and No. 4 under the aortic arch via the thoracoscope. The postoperative 5-year survival rate after VATS lobectomy is superior to that after standard thoracotomy. It is expected that the indications for VATS will be expanded to include T2 or N1 disease as thorascopic instruments and techniques improve.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung cancer is associated with less immunochemokine disturbances than thoracotomy.

OBJECTIVE: Major surgery is immunosuppressive and could have an impact on postoperative tumor immunosurveillance and recurrence in cancer patients. Low circulating levels of insulin growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3 have been linked to advance prostate and the development of colonic cancers. This prospective study examined the early postoperative circulating levels of IGFBP-3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing major lung resection by VATS versus thoracotomy. METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients with resectable primary NSCLC were assigned to VATS or thoracotomy approach over a 7-month-period. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and postoperatively on days (POD) 1 and 3 for enzyme linked immunosorbent assay determination of IGFBP-3, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels in the serum. RESULTS: There were no demographic differences between the two groups. VATS lung resection was associated with lower levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 on POD1 (median 628 vs 1311ng/ml, p=0.009; and 131 vs 211ng/ml, p=0.004, respectively) but higher levels of IGFBP-3 on POD3 (1366 vs 1144ng/ml, p=0.02), when compared with the thoracotomy approach. There was no perioperative mortality. CONCLUSIONS: VATS major lung resection for NSCLC is associated with higher circulating levels of IGFBP-3, and lower levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1, compared to the thoracotomy approach. The clinical relevance of these postoperative changes on tumor biology following lung resection for cancer warrants further investigation.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) resection for lung cancer

VATS is a relatively new technology that has become the standard of care for basic procedures such as drainage of pleural effusion and blebectomy. VATS anatomic lung resection is more controversial. Published studies demonstrate several advantages of VATS over a standard posterolateral thoracotomy. A minimally invasive approach causes less inflammatory reaction. Acute and chronic pain are diminished. As a result, the length of hospitalization is shorter. Early and late shoulder dysfunction is less and return to work time is shorter. Taken together, these factors suggest a better overall outcome using a VATS approach. From an oncologic standpoint, lymph node dissection can be accomplished and locoregional recurrence is low. The validity of VATS for lung cancer will be determined by long-term data. A phase III national (intergroup) protocol is being drafted and will help to answer these questions.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for right lung cancer in a patient with right aortic arch: report of a case

A 57-year-old man with an anomalous right aortic arch presented with cancer of the right lung. The right recurrent laryngeal nerve was found to be hooked around the right aortic arch. Right lower lobectomy with systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection was successfully performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery to provide close intraoperative attention to the branching of recurrent laryngeal nerve.