Safety of Next Day Discharge After Lobectomy: Have We Broken the Speed Limit?

BACKGROUND: Utilizing our standardized approach to air leak reduction (STAR) protocol has led to a continual decrease in the need for inpatient recovery after lobectomy. Although next-day discharges do occur, the current literature, to our knowledge, has not addressed their safety. We analyzed our STAR data set to study this group and their outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data from the STAR data set was performed. Characteristics were compared between patients discharged on postoperative day (POD) 1 and those with longer admissions. Outcome data was analyzed. RESULTS: From June 2010 through June 2017, 390 patients underwent lobectomy and met study criteria. Of these, 150 (38%) were discharged on POD 1 versus 240 (62%) who were discharged later (mean length of stay, 3.9 days). There was no increase in morbidity, mortality, or 30-day readmission between the 2 groups. Distinguishing characteristics of the POD 1 group included more nonsmokers, use of a minimally invasive technique, and a lower incidence of prolonged air leak. FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) and Dlco (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide) data were also favorable in the POD 1 group. The percentage of patients sent home POD 1 increased from an average of 23% over the first 3 years of the study to 63% over the last 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriately identified patients can safely go home on POD 1 after lobectomy without an increase in 30-day readmission, morbidity, or mortality. A continued focus on lobectomy length of stay reduction has the capacity to increase patient satisfaction and lead to reduction in health care costs.

Traumatic Rupture of A Posterior Mediastinal Teratoma following Motor-Vehicle Accident.

We report a case of a posterior mediastinal mature cystic teratoma with rupture secondary to blunt chest trauma in a 20-year-old male involved in a motor-vehicle accident. Initial treatment was guided by Advanced Trauma Life Support and a tube thoracostomy was performed for presumed hemothorax. The heterogeneous collection within the thoracic cavity was discovered to be the result of a ruptured cystic mass. Pathologic findings confirmed the mass consistent with a mature cystic teratoma. As mediastinal teratomas are most commonly described arising from the anterior mediastinum, the posterior location of the teratoma described in this report is exceedingly rare.

Standardized Approach to Prolonged Air Leak Reduction After Pulmonary Resection.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged air leaks after pulmonary resection lead to patient discomfort, increased hospital length of stay, greater health care costs, and increased morbidity. A standardized approach to air leak reduction (STAR) after lung resection was developed and studied. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of a prospective database from 1 surgeon who had adopted STAR as standard of care. Three independent factors shown to reduce air leaks are incorporated in STAR: fissureless operative technique, staple line buttressing, and protocol-driven chest tube management. Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared against aggregate data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database (2012-2014). RESULTS: From June 2010 through May 2015, 475 patients met the study criteria. Of these, 264 (55.6%) had lobectomies, 198 (41.7%) had wedge resections, and 13 (2.7%) had segmentectomies. Prolonged air leaks were reduced in the STAR lobectomy group by 52% (5.7% versus 10.9%; p = 0.0079) and in the STAR wedge group by 40% (2.5% versus 4.2%; p = 0.38). Hospital length of stay for lobectomies (3.2 versus 6.3 days; p = 0.0001), wedge resections (3.3 versus 4.5 days; p = 0.0152), and segmentectomies (3.2 versus 5.2 days; p = 0.0001) was significantly reduced. Readmission rate was 4% and none were related to air leak. No difference was seen in mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Use of STAR for pulmonary resection, particularly for lobectomies, shows decreased postoperative prolonged air leaks when compared with The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database. This aggressive approach did not lead to air leak-related hospital readmissions nor compromise postoperative mortality. The STAR protocol is an innovative strategy that has the potential to improve postoperative pulmonary resection outcomes.