All-in-one diagnostic and therapeutic precision thoracic surgery using a hybrid operating theatre: the triple-marking technique.

BACKGROUND: The minimally invasive management of sub-centimetric and often sub-solid lung lesions is quite challenging for thoracic surgeons. As a matter of fact, thoracoscopic wedge resection can often require conversion to thoracotomy when pulmonary lesions cannot be visually identified. Hybrid operating rooms (ORs) can serve as a helpful tool in a multidisciplinary setting, providing real-time lesion imaging and targeting, allowing preoperative or intraoperative percutaneous placement of different lesions targeting techniques to help locate non-palpable lung nodules during video-assisted thoracic surgery. The aim of the study is to assess whether the lung nodule marking using methylene blue, indocyanine green, and gold seeds - the "triple-marking technique" - in the hybrid OR is effective in helping locate non-visible or palpable nodules. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on 19 patients with non-palpable lung lesions requiring VATS wedge resection and underwent lesional targeting in the hybrid operating room with different marking systems, including gold seeds placement, methylene blue, or indocyanine green. Lesions were considered non-palpable due to sizing, radiological subsolid aspect, or location and then identified using intraoperative CT scans, also allowing to elaborate needle trajectory. The intraoperative diagnosis was obtained in all of the patients guiding the type of surgery performed. RESULTS: The radio-opaque gold seed marker was used in all of the patients except for two cases that developed intraprocedural pneumothoraces with no major consequences. In these patients, the nodule marking using dyes was still performed and successful in allowing to locate the lesion. Methylene blue and indocyanine green were always used in combination during the dye-targeting phase. Methylene blue appeared to be non-visible in two patients. The indocyanine green was correctly visualized in every patient. We observed the gold seed dislocation in two patients. We were able to identify the lung lesion in all the patients correctly. No conversion was needed. No allergic reactions were observed due to dye administration, and no prophylaxis was performed prior to lesional marking. The lung lesions were visually identified in 100% of the patients thanks to at least one marking technique. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience confirms that the hybrid operating room can represent a suitable tool in helping locate hard-to-find lung lesions in planned VATS resections. Using different techniques, a multiple marking approach seems advisable to maximize the lung lesions detecting rate by direct vision, therefore reducing the VATS conversion rate.

Guidelines for preoperative assessment: impact on clinical practice and costs.

OBJECTIVE: To describe preoperative evaluation in the San Giovanni Battista Hospital in Turin and to forecast the economic impact when preoperative assessment guidelines are implemented. DESIGN: We enrolled, in a month, 702 consecutive patients, excluding cardiac, thoracic, neuro- and vascular surgery, as well as emergency operations. Preoperative assessment data were collected individually, followed by simulating various applications of guidelines based on: (i) preoperative tests relying on full medical history and physical examination to discriminate preoperative risk patients; (ii) organization of a preoperative evaluation unit and tests before patient hospitalization. MAIN MEASURES: Mean number of tests prescribed, preoperative assessment cost per patient. RESULTS: The application of preoperative guidelines would decrease the mean number of tests prescribed from 20 laboratory and 1.9 instrumental to, respectively, 3 and 1.4 per patient. Tests deemed inappropriate by guidelines did not add any relevant clinical information to our study. Economic analysis estimates a reduction of 63% in cost per patient for preoperative tests by introducing guideline criteria (from 69 euros to 26 euros). As regards the cost per patient for preoperative evaluation and hospital stay (115 euros considering only variable costs, 580 euros including all costs), the application of the guidelines would reduce costs by 41-52% according to different cost evaluation approaches for hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Preoperative guidelines fully introduced in practice could notably increase efficiency without affecting the quality of care.