Point-of-care manufacturing: a single university hospital's initial experience.

BACKGROUND: The integration of 3D printing technology in hospitals is evolving toward production models such as point-of-care manufacturing. This study aims to present the results of the integration of 3D printing technology in a manufacturing university hospital. METHODS: Observational, descriptive, retrospective, and monocentric study of 907 instances of 3D printing from November 2015 to March 2020. Variables such as product type, utility, time, or manufacturing materials were analyzed. RESULTS: Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Gynecology and Obstetrics are the medical specialties that have manufactured the largest number of processes. Working and printing time, as well as the amount of printing material, is different for different types of products and input data. The most common printing material was polylactic acid, although biocompatible resin was introduced to produce surgical guides. In addition, the hospital has worked on the co-design of custom-made implants with manufacturing companies and has also participated in tissue bio-printing projects. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of 3D printing in a university hospital allows identifying the conceptual evolution to "point-of-care manufacturing."

The Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery Lung Cancer Cooperative Group-II registry. A descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The seventh edition of the TNM classification, together with undeniable advantages, has limitations. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Staging Committee has designed an international prospective study to improve this classification. A group of thoracic surgeons and pulmonologists was established in the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) Oncology area, and created a registry of new lung cancer (LC) cases to participate in this project. The aim of this paper is to describe the main characteristics of the patients included. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, observational, multicentre, multiregional data collection (epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and, especially, anatomical extension) study, according to the IASLC protocol, to analyse its prognostic value. RESULTS: Two thousand, four hundred and nineteen patients (83.6% men) from 28 hospitals were included. Ninety-six percent of the men and 54% of the women were smokers or ex-smokers. Chest/abdominal computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed in over 90% and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scanning in 51.5% of cases. Among the 1035 patients who underwent surgery, 77% had early stages (ia to iib), and 61.6% of those treated using other methods had stage iv. Respiratory comorbidity was higher in men (47.9% versus 21.4%). The most common histological subtype was adenocarcinoma (34%), especially in non-smoking women (69.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of women and adenocarcinomas, as well as those resected at an early stage, increased among LC cases in Spain.

Modulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression by ischaemic preconditioning in a lung autotransplant model.

OBJECTIVES: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is believed to play a crucial role in lung ischaemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI). Ischaemic preconditioning (IP) has been shown to protect several organs from ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, although less is known about IP's effect on MCP-1 modulation. The objective of this study was to investigate IP's effect on MCP-1 expression in lung tissue and its relationship with oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokine production in an experimental LIRI model. METHODS: Two groups (IP and control groups) of seven large white pigs underwent a lung autotransplant (left pneumonectomy, ex situ superior lobectomy and lower lobe reimplantation). Before pneumonectomy was performed in the study group, IP was induced with two cycles of 5 min of left pulmonary artery occlusion with a 5 min interval of reperfusion between the two occlusions. Blood samples and lung biopsies were obtained at prepneumonectomy (PPn), at prereperfusion (PRp) and up to 30 min after reperfusion of the implanted lobe (Rp-10' and Rp-30'). Haemodynamic and blood-gas measurements, evaluation of oxidative stress in lung tissue and MCP-1, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-1 protein and mRNA measurements in lung tissue were performed. Nonparametric tests were used to compare differences between groups. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. RESULTS: In control lungs, MCP-1 protein levels were found to be higher at PRp, Rp-10' and Rp-30' than at PPn (0.59 ± 0.1 vs. 0.21 ± 0.05, 0.47 ± 0.01 vs. 0.21 ± 0.05 and 0.56 ± 0.01 vs. 0.21 ± 0.05, respectively; P < 0.05). These differences were not evident in the IP group. MCP-1 levels at PRp, Rp-10' and Rp-30' were significantly higher in the control group than in the IP group (0.59 ± 0.1 vs. 0.15 ± 0.02, 0.47 ± 0.01 vs. 0.13 ± 0.01 and 0.56 ± 0.01 vs. 0.27 ± 0.01, respectively; P < 0.05). MCP-1, TNF-α and IL-1 mRNA expressions were lower at PRp, Rp-10' and Rp-30' (control vs. IP group, P < 0.05) when IP was carried out. Lipid peroxidation metabolites and myeloperoxidase activity increase in lung tissue were prevented by IP. CONCLUSIONS: In this model, LIRI induced the expression of MCP-1 and the proinflammatory proteins TNF-α and IL-1 in control lungs. IP significantly reduced the expression of these chemokines and cytokines. These features may explain the reduction of oxidative stress observed with IP.

Surgery of female genital tract tumour lung metastases.

INTRODUCTION: Lung metastases originating from tumours of the female genital tract are rare. Due to this rarity and their variable histology, it has been difficult to compare different patient series. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients undergoing resection of lung metastases of female genital tract tumours (uterine and cervical cancer) during the period 01/01/1989 to 12/31/2006. Epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment data were collected. Non-parametric tests and survival analysis were performed using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test. RESULTS: A resection was performed on 27 patients during the study period. Disease-free interval (DFI) from initial diagnosis of lung metastases was 58 months (1-195 months). The median survival from diagnosis of metastases was 94 months. The overall survival at 5 years after diagnosis of metastasis was 84.1%. A second surgery of metastases was performed on 5 patients (18.5%). Survival after second surgery of metastases: 80.5 months. Survival from diagnosis of metastasis at five years: endometrial carcinoma 100%, cervical cancer 62.5%, uterine sarcoma 60%. Adjuvant hormonal therapy was prescribed in 15 out of 16 patients with endometrial carcinoma. There was a statistically significant difference in the survival depending on the histological type and disease free interval. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of lung metastases originating from female genital tract tumours (mainly endometrial carcinoma) is associated with a high long-term survival.

Experimental Swine lung autotransplant model to study lung ischemia-reperfusion injury.

INTRODUCTION: Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) lung injury has been investigated extensively on clinical and experimental models of cold ischemia. However, relatively few studies examine the detailed biochemical changes occurring during normothermic (warm) IR. The objective of this work was to establish an experimental lung autotransplant model to be carried out on pigs in order to study the early stages of normothermic lung IR. ANIMALS Y METHODS: Six Large-White pigs underwent a lung autotransplant which entailed left pneumonectomy, ex situ cranial lobectomy, caudal lobe reimplantation and its reperfusion for 30 min. Throughout the procedure, several parameters were measured in order to identify hemodynamic, gasometric and biochemical changes. Non-parametric statistical analyses were used to compare differences between periods. RESULTS: After ischemia, a significant increase (P < 0.05) in lipid peroxidation metabolites, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß y MCP-1), neutrophil activation, inducible nitric oxide synthase activity and protein-kinase MAPK p38 levels were observed in lung tissue. However, constitutive nitric oxide synthase activity in lung tissue and carbon monoxide plasma levels were decrease. The same held true throughout the reperfusion period, when an increase in the constitutive heme-oxygenase activity was also shown. CONCLUSIONS: An experimental model of normothermic lung IR injury is presented and detailed changes in hemodynamic, gasometric and biochemical parameters are shown. Both the model and the studied parameters may be clinically useful in future investigations testing new therapies to prevent normothermic IR induced lung injury.

Lung cancer surgery in the elderly.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a typical disease of the elderly, and is becoming increasingly more common as a result of the gradual aging of the population. Although patient age is known to be an independent prognostic factor of postoperative survival, lung resection should not be denied on the basis of age alone. In patients of this kind, careful evaluation and selection is very important. In early-stage NSCLC, surgery is the treatment of choice. In the advanced stages of the disease treatment usually comprises primary radiotherapy or combined radio-chemotherapy. Preoperative preparation and postoperative care are very important in chest surgery, and particularly in elderly patients. The 5-year survival rate in octogenarians exceeds 40%, but is much lower in pneumonectomized patients (close to 10%). In conclusion, elderly patients should be offered the best treatment possible, bearing in mind that surgery offers the best results when the disease is resectable.