Successful treatment of post-operative peripheral bronchopleural fistulas using endobronchial Watanabe spigots.

Post-operative peripheral bronchopleural fistulas (BPF) are sometimes caused by post-operative pneumonia and empyema. Conservative treatment options such as administration of antibiotics and chest tube drainage can have limited outcomes in certain cases. Bronchial occlusion is an effective treatment option if the target bronchi for BPF are identified. This case study describes a successful bronchial occlusion for peripheral BPF with endobronchial Watanabe spigots (EWSs) and a digital drainage system. This case involved a 70-year-old man who developed a post-operative peripheral BPF after a left upper lobectomy. Bronchial occlusion with EWS was performed because the target bronchi responsible for BPF were clearly detected by a chest computerized tomography scan. The effectiveness of the occlusion was confirmed with the use of a digital drainage system immediately after the procedure was completed. The chest tube was removed one week following the bronchial occlusion procedure.

Bronchoscopic observation with linked colour imaging.

We report two cases of the comparison of diagnosis made with linked color imaging (LCI) and conventional white-light imaging (WLI) on the same patients. In case 1, a 75-year-old man in whom right upper lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed due to lung cancer had signs of bronchitis on postoperative day 8. The LCI demonstrated slight inflammatory changes that were not detectable with the conventional WLI on the tracheal wall. In case 2, in a 61-year-old woman who was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, the bronchial wall was checked to confirm the extent of the tumour. The submucosal vascularity and tumour margin on the bronchial mucosa were better visible on LCI than on WLI. We could easily detect the mucosal inflammatory lesion and the malignant lesion with LCI in comparison with conventional WLI. Both mucosal inflammatory and malignant lesions were better visible with LCI in comparison to WLI.

[Diaphragmatic hernia complicated with diaphragmatic resection by automatic stapling device].

Nowadays, a diaphragmatic lesion is sometimes resected with use of an automatic stapling device, especially through video-assisted thoracoscopic procedure. We herein report 2 patients with a diaphragmatic hernia after diaphragmatic resection by automatic stapling devices. Etiology and cause of postoperative diaphragmatic hernia are discussed. Diaphragmatic resection by mechanical stapler was performed for thymic epithelial tumor recurring at the diaphragmatic pleura in both patients: 48-year-old man and 72-year-old woman. The former patient underwent a right diaphragmatic resection (3×4 cm in size) with a cartridge of mechanical stapler. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging showed asymptomatic right diaphragmatic hernia 2 months after surgery. No symptom and progression occurred 8 years later. The latter patient underwent a right diaphragmatic resection (6×7 cm in size) with 2 cartridges of mechanical stapler. Diaphragmatic hernia advanced 7 months after surgery and required surgical intervention. Diaphragmatic repair was successful with the use of 8×6 cm expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch. Surgical stump after diaphragmatic resection with automatic stapling device is easy to rupture during diaphragmatic movement synchronized with respiratory movement. Diaphragmatic resection with use of stapling device, which is a simple procedure, should be contraindicated.

[Stump recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy from colorectal cancer].

Pulmonary metastasectomy with wedge resection is an ideal procedure in terms of less invasiveness and preservation of respiratory function, while local recurrence is a major problem. The goal of this study was to verify risk factors of stump recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy from colorectal cancer. Pulmonary metastasectomies including 112 operations for 131 lesions in 85 patients with colorectal cancer were performed in our department since March, 2005 until the end of 2010. In our cases, stump recurrence significantly occurred in patients who underwent wedge resection than segmentectomy or lobectomy. Stump recurrence developed in 14 operations among 62 wedge resections (recurrence rate: 23%). Diameter more than 10 mm and distance between pleura and deepest end of the tumor (depth value) more than 14 mm were risk factors as stump recurrence. Tumor diameter and depth value can be a decisional factor for wedge resection in pulmonary metastasectomy in the colorectal cancer patients.

Successful silicon stent for life-threatening tracheal wall laceration.

We report an 86-year-old woman with a large tracheal laceration caused by tracheal intubation at cardiopulmonary arrest who underwent a successful stent procedure. Tracheal laceration developed in the membranous portion longitudinally 6 cm in length to 2 cm above the carina. Following 9 days' tracheal intubation, a Y-shaped silicon stent was inserted over the lacerated trachea. Four months after the stenting procedure, we removed the Y-shaped silicon stent from the healed membranous wall. The patient returned to daily life without requiring thoracotomy.

[Clinicopathological study of small lung cancer (diameter of 2 cm or less) by uptake value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose].

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) for lung cancer may be a biomarker for malignancy as well as a useful tool for detection of nodal involvement and distant metastasis. The goal of this study was to clarify a relationship between clinicopathological findings and maximum standardized uptake value( SUVmax) obtained by preoperative PET in patients with non-small cell lung cancer in diameter of 2 cm or less. Between January 2008 and April 2011, 124 patients( 54 men and 70 women) with non-small cell lung cancer in diameter of 2 cm or less undergoing lobectomy or segmentectomy were enrolled. The relationship between SUVmax and clinicopathological findings as tumor diameter, histological type, pleural invasion, vascular invasion, lymphatic permeation and nodal involvement were analyzed. Correlation between SUVmax and findings such as vascular invasion and lymphatic permeation showed relatively strong in the patients with adenocarcinoma, on the contrary to the correlation in the patients with non-adenocarcinoma. No tumor showing SUVmax of 2 or less showed vascular invasion and/or lymphatic permeation as well as nodal involvement in any patients with adenocarcinoma. SUVmax of the primary tumor in diameter of 2 cm or less, can be a useful biomarker which indicates a surgical candidate for sublobar pulmonary resection as well as mediastinal nodal dissection, especially in patients with adenocarcinoma.

[Clinical outcome after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for clinical stage I lung cancer with pathologically nodal involvement].

The lymph node dissection with video-assisted thoracic surgery( VATS) was technically feasible and the remnant lymph nodes and tissues were 2% to 3%, which seems acceptable for clinical stage I lung cancer. Surgical outcome after VATS for clinical stage I lung cancer with pathologically nodal involvement, however, remains unclear. Medical records of 72 patients who had clinical stage I non small cell lung cancer with pathologically nodal involvement( pN1:21 patients, pN2:51 patients) and underwent VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy with mediastinal dissection between January 2005 and December 2010, were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative recurrence and survival were studied. Remnant nodal recurrence occurred in 8 patients with pN1 (recurrence rate 38%) and 15 patients with pN2 (recurrence rate 29%). The 1- and 3-year disease free survival rate was 87% and 68%. The 1- and 3-year survival rate was 100% and 79%. This study suggested that VATS is acceptable for patients with clinical stage I lung in terms of survival rate, cancer with pN1. In a view point of remnant nodal recurrence, a more skillful dissection procedure is required.

[Stump consolidation after video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy].

Pulmonary segmentectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is used for minimally invasive surgery for removal of small lung neoplasms, and stump consolidation is one of the potential postoperative complications. The objective of the present study is to clarify the incidence of stump consolidation and its predictive factors by assessing patients who underwent VATS segmentectomy in our department. Stump consolidation was defined as atelectatic lesions along the surgical stump with >10 mm thickness in horizontal sectional view by computed tomography, at least 3 months after surgery. Between February 2007 and September 2010, 70 patients (38 men and 32 women) with primary lung cancer (43 patients) and metastatic pulmonary tumor (27 patients) underwent VATS segmentectomy. Stump consolidations were seen in 7 patients. Univariate analysis showed the significant difference for the period of performed operation. Left-sided operation, especially segmentectomy of left S(1+2), was another predictive factor, though not significant. Stump consolidation after VATS segmentectomy can be deueloped by conbined workspace for stapling and misidentification of intersegmental plane. When division of the intersegmental plane is difficult, open thoracotomy should be undertaken to prevent such compliance.