Clinical Results After Intra-Cavitary Drainage Of Giant Bullae In Patients With Poor Pulmonary Reserves.

BACKGROUND: Giant bullae (GB) are space occupying lesions associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. The aim of this study is to evaluate outcome of intra-cavitary tube drainage procedures (ITDP) in terms of clinical and radiological benefits. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in The Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, from February 2021 to April 2022 after ethical approval. Patients above 12 years, with poor reserve and GB underwent clinical, radiological and laboratory assessment before and after ITDPs to document various studied parameters. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients were included; thirty-two (66.7%) were males. Mean age was 46.7±12.14 years. Most common aetiology was COPD (28; 58.3%). GB were ≥10 cm in size in 36 (75%) with right upper lobe involvement in 20 (41.7%). Preoperative dyspnoea score of IV was seen in 41 (85.4%) and chest pain in 42(87.5%) patients. In 34(70.8%) patients, Monaldi procedure and in 14 (29.2%) Brompton technique was used. Dyspnoea score improved from grade IV to II (24/41; p=0.004) along with reduction in pain and cough (p=0.012; p=0.002), respectively. Improvement post operatively in oxygen saturation, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (6.08±1.36%, 0.73±0.516 L and 0.57±0.07 L, respectively, p<0.001) was seen. Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide improved by 40.6±4.82 (p=0.009) and 13.22±3.62mmHg (p=0.7). Improvement of PaO2 was associated with reduction in the size of bullae (9.33±5.13cm; p=0.006). Radiographical resolution was seen in 41 (87.5%) majorly within 2 months (21; 51.2%). Duration of hospital stay was 4.20±0.92 days with no mortality. Complications were seen in 25 (52.1%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-cavitary tube drainage procedures allow both clinical and physiological improvement in patients with GB. They allow resolution of bullae in patients with poor reserves and help in expansion of underlying compressed lung, improving both the clinical symptoms and radiological picture.

Saved by the Clot in Superior Vena Cava Injury.

Penetrating neck injuries (PNIs) can cause injuries to great vessels. Superior vena cava (SVC) injury from a stab to the neck is rare and when it occurs, poses a significant risk of exsanguinating hemorrhage. We report a case of a 17-year female who survived a delayed presentation of five hours after sustaining stab injury to zone 1 of the neck. Her external wound was just above the medial 1/3rd of the clavicle which resulted in SVC laceration. Mechanism and site of injury along with clinical presentation with right hemothorax was highly suspicious for a vascular injury. Exsanguinating hemorrhage was halted by a soft clot in this hypotensive patient. Furthermore, permissive hypotension with judicious resuscitation stabilised the patient enough to undergo a contrast venogram to identify the level of SVC injury. The patient underwent successful surgical repair of SVC. This case illustrates the point that control of bleeding by soft clots does not rule out major vascular injury. Additionally, it demonstrates how permissive hypotension can be helpful as a damage control stepping stone in the management of these critical patients. Key Words: Penetrating neck injury, Permissive hypotension, SVC laceration, Venorrhaphy.

Effect of Circumference of Open Window Thoracostomy on Chest Wall Closure, Pleural Cavity Clearance, and Lung Expansion.

Introduction Managing chronic empyema thoracis (CET) due to tuberculosis (TB) in debilitated patients is complicated. Open window thoracostomy (OWT) is one of the ways to manage these high-risk patients. Closure of OWT is sometimes difficult to attain. The purpose of this study is to compare the outcome of OWT in terms of chest wall closure in two similar groups. The only difference between these groups was the circumference of the OWT created. This study will benefit patients of CET with OWT to attain early chest wall closure without being subjected to another surgical trauma. Methods This is a prospective comparative study, conducted in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from August 2019 to July 2020. A total of 48 patients, 22 and 26 patients in group A and group B, respectively, were included in this study. Both groups were matched for age, gender, diagnosis, body mass index, and stage of empyema, with the difference only in the OWT circumference. Results Both groups had a history of multiple chest tube intubations. Among group A patients, a smaller circumference of OWT (20-24 cm; mean 22 cm) was created as compared to group B (30-34 cm; mean 33 cm). Spontaneous OWT closure was seen in 21 (95.5%) patients in group A and seven (26.9%) patients in group B in a time period of 6.2 ± 1.5 and 11.4 ± 0.5 months, respectively (p-value: ≤ 0.001). Pleural cavity clearance was attained in 21 (95.5%) patients in group A and 24 (92.35%) patients in group B in a time duration of 4 ± 1.4 months and 4 ± 4.1 months, respectively (p-value: ≤ 0.97). Complete lung expansion was found in 21 (95.5%) patients in group A and 24 (92.3%) patients in group B in a time duration of 5 ± 1.7 months and 4.7 ± 1.6 months, respectively (p-value: ≤ 0.62). Conclusion This prospective single-center study shows that successful spontaneous early closure of OWT primarily depends on the size of the OWT created. A smaller-sized OWT, if created judiciously, not only closes spontaneously but also facilitates the clearance of purulent discharge and potentially helps in the definitive healing of bronchopleural fistulae and consequent lung expansion, thereby avoiding more invasive procedures like decortication in a debilitated patient. Furthermore, there is no need for a second surgery for closure of OWT.

Video Assisted Thoracoscopy as a therapeutic modality in evacuating retained or clotted haemothoraces.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of video-assisted thoracoscopy for evacuating retained / clotted haemothoraces to minimise the duration of chest tube drainage and length of hospital stay. METHODS: The prospective cohort study was conducted from July 2019 to February 2020 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, and comprised consecutive patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopy for retained or clotted haemothoraces. Outcome was measured as evacuation of retained haemothoraces resulting in partial or complete lung expansion and length of hospital stay. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 160 patients, 128(80%) were males and 32(20%) were females. The overall mean age was 36.08±11.91 years. Overall, 103(64.37%) patients underwent the procedure in within 4-7 days, and 57(35.63%) within 8-14 days. Complete lung expansion was achieved in 95(71.9%) patients when the procedure was performed in the first week, and in 37(28.1%) when performed in the second week (p=0.01). Within the first week, 87(84.4%) patients had shorter duration of stay compared to patients having undergone the procedure in the second week (p=0.001). Relapse of collection was found in 21(13.7%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopy was found to be a safe, reliable and effective technique for the evacuation of retained haemothorax in haemodynamically stable patients. Early intervention resulted in better outcome.

Role of Anti-Tuberculous Treatment in the Outcome of Decortication for Chronic Tuberculous Empyema.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic tuberculous empyema (CTE) is a common complication of tuberculosis that requires some form of surgical intervention along with anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT). The aim of this study was to determine the optimum duration of pre-operative ATT in CTE prior to the decortication and its outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This comparative prospective study was conducted from August 2019 to August 2020 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 70 patients were included in the study. They were grouped into two arms: patients operated at or within six weeks of ATT commencement (Group A) and patients operated after six weeks of ATT (Group B). Both groups had 35 participants each. Patients were evaluated based on a self-administered questionnaire. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULT: In this study, there were 55 (78.6%) males and 15 (21.4%) females with a mean age of 33.5 ± 11.2 years. Diagnosis of CTE was most commonly made through sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear (n=35, 50%) which most commonly involved right upper (n=20, 28.6%) and lower lung lobes (n=20, 28.6%). Complications such as air leaks, need for ventilator support, need for intensive care unit (ICU) stay, residual collection, and pneumothorax all were significantly higher in Group A (31 patients out of 35) compared to Group B (18 patients out of 35). In Group B, 21 (60%) participants had full post-operative expansion of lungs, compared to eight (22.8%) in Group A (p=0.002). In total five participants had failure to expand lungs; all of them belonged to Group A (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: The optimum timing of surgery and preoperative ATT is crucial for achieving better outcomes and requires good collaboration between the treating pulmonologist and thoracic surgeon. Our study highlights the importance of pre-operative ATT for at least more than six weeks before undertaking decortication for better outcomes and minimizing morbidity.

Pattern and Outcome of Thoracic Injuries in a Busy Tertiary Care Unit.

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic traumas are one of the most commonly encountered injuries in the emergency room. They range from blunt chest injuries due to road traffic accidents to penetrating chest injuries. Immediate medical and surgical interventions are essential to improve the outcome. This study was conducted to assess the pattern of thoracic trauma presenting to the emergency room, their outcome and factors contributing to it. METHODS: This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi from January 1 until July 31, 2020, with institutional ethical approval. Patients age ≥12 years presenting with traumatic thoracic injury with or without associated injuries were included. Characteristics of their injuries and management outcome were studied. All data was processed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: A total of 199 patients were included; 154 (77.4%) patients were male and 45 (22.6%) patients were female. The most common age group presenting with trauma was the middle age (30-60 years), which included 101 (50.8%) patients. Out of the total, 126 (63.3%) had blunt chest injuries and 73 (36.6%) had penetrating chest injuries. Road traffic accidents were the most common cause of blunt chest injuries seen in 83 (65.8%) patients, whereas gunshot was the most common mode of penetrating chest injuries encountered in 41 (56.2%) cases. Tube thoracostomies were performed in 166 (83.4%) patients and thoracotomies in seven (3.51%) patients. Out of the total, 57 (28.6%) patients required mechanical ventilation and it was associated with blunt trauma, hemothorax, rib fracture, abdominal and head injuries (p ≤0.05). Mortality was seen in 22 (11.1%), which was associated with hemothorax, head injuries, mechanical ventilation and severe blood loss (p ≤0.05). CONCLUSION: Traumatic thoracic injuries are a preventable cause of mortality. Blunt chest injuries are more common than penetrating chest injuries. Proper implementation of public safety measures ensures less frequent and severe outcomes. Emergency department team and specialized thoracic surgeons must come together to manage these critical patients with utmost care.

Morbidity And Mortality Among Patients Sustaining Chest Injury Due To Blunt Force - The Difference Between Young And Elderly.

BACKGROUND: Blunt Chest trauma (BCT) is caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs), falls, assaults, or occupational injuries. Age has been hypothesized to be a predictor of complications and adverse outcomes in the elderly. This study aimed to compare morbidity and mortality in young and elderly patients with BCT. METHODS: This prospective two-arm study was conducted in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from July 1st till 31st December 2019 after approval from the Institutional review board. All hemodynamically stable patients with BCT presenting in the emergency were stratified in two groups. Group A included patients age 12-45 years; Group B were of age ≥65 years. Their clinical characteristics, complications, and in-hospital outcomes were compared. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0. RESULTS: There were 39 (55.7%) patients in group A and 31 (44.3%) in group B. RTAs were a significant cause of BCT in Group A (p=0.01) and falls in Group B (p=0.003). Lacerations, open wound, and flail chest were significantly more common in Group A (p≤0.05). Complications of BCT including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were significantly higher in Group B (p≤0.05). Group B required mechanical ventilation more often (45.2% vs. 12.8%; p=0.003). There were seven deaths in Group B (p=0.002) and none in Group A. CONCLUSIONS: Commonest cause of BCT in the elderly is falling. Similarly, the elderly are more prone to develop pneumonia, ARDS, and the need for ventilatory support. Early intervention to control pain, improve ventilation, and chest physiotherapy reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality.

Rigid Bronchoscopy: A Life-Saving Intervention in the Removal of Foreign Body in Adults at a Busy Tertiary Care Unit.

Introduction Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a potentially lethal emergency and is not uncommon in adults. Rigid bronchoscopy (RB) is a useful procedure for the extraction of these FBs, and it has a high success rate. The aim of this study was to document the clinical presentation of FB aspirations and management outcomes of non-vegetative FB extraction using RB as a therapeutic modality. Method This prospective interventional study was conducted in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi from May 2019 to April 2020. Patients of both genders of ages 12 years or above, presenting with FB aspiration were included. RB was performed in all patients. Results Chest radiograph (CXR) identified FBs in all 60 patients, 51 of whom were females and nine males. In 24 (40%) patients, a CT scan was performed to accurately localize the FB. Left bronchus was the most common location of the FB (n=39; 65%). Scarf pin was the most common type (n=45; 75%) of FB, followed by sewing needle (n=7; 11.7%), safety pin (n=5; 8.3%), and tire repair needle (n=3; 5%). In 53 (88.3%) patients, RB was successful in retrieving the FB. Thoracotomy was performed in the remaining seven patients due to inaccessibility. One (1.7%) patient died due to the rupture of the thoracic aortic aneurysm. Conclusion Accidental aspiration of pins and needles can be fatal in adults. RB is a life-saving modality for safely removing these FBs. However, thoracotomy should be used as a life-saving procedure in cases of FBs affecting secondary bronchi or beyond.

Analysis of Injury Patterns and Outcomes of Blunt Thoracic Trauma in Elderly Patients.

Introduction In the elderly population, trauma is a leading cause of utilization of healthcare, institutionalization, disability, and mortality. In this study, we will assess the injury patterns and the factors associated with the outcomes of blunt thoracic trauma in elderly individuals. Methods This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan, from September 2019 to April 2020. The study included patients of both genders aged 60 years and above with blunt thoracic trauma. Patients with concomitant neurological injuries and penetrating trauma to the chest were excluded. Results There were a total of 80 patients in this study; majority were males (n = 66 [82.5%]). The mean age was 70.18 ± 8.3 years. Road traffic accident was the most common mode of injury (n = 45 [56.3%]) followed by fall (n = 32 [40%]). Hemothorax and hemopneumothorax were the most common primary diagnosis. Rib fractures were encountered in 72 (90%) patients. Mortality rate was 21.3% (n = 17). Factors significantly related to mortality were age ≥ 80 years (p = 0.00), tension pneumothorax (p = 0.036), pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease (p = 0.032), blood loss ≥ 500 mL (p = 0.004), flail chest (p = 0.018), and chest trauma score ≥ 5 (p = 0.001). Mean hospital stay in our study was 5.3 ± 3.4 days. Factors lengthening hospital stay by more than five days included lung contusion (p = 0.02), more than two rib fractures (p = 0.004), hemopneumothorax (p = 0.026), pneumonia (p = 0.003), acute respiratory distress syndrome (p = 0.003), and flail chest (p = 0.013). Conclusions Elderly patients with blunt thoracic trauma have higher mortality. Proactive evaluation of injuries using the chest trauma score in the elderly population helps in recognizing patients at high risk of mortality and helps in the timely management to prevent adverse outcomes.

Management Outcome in Simple and Complex Hydatid Cysts of Lung.

INTRODUCTION: Hydatid cyst (HC) of lung is a frequently encountered entity in Pakistan. The clinical and radiological manifestations of HC in lung depend on the integrity of the cyst. Patients may remain asymptomatic for years in cases of simple HC or may present with a wide variety of complications when it ruptures. The aim of this study was to compare management outcomes in simple and complex HCs. METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted from February 2019 until May 2020. Patients were divided into two groups: simple HC (Group A) and complex HC (Group B). Preoperative complications, surgical procedures, postoperative complications, duration of hospital stay, duration of chest tube placement and need for readmission were noted and compared between the two groups. All data was processed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were included out of which Group A had 28 (45.2%) patients and Group B had 34 (54.8%) patients. There were 39 (62.9%) males and 23 (37.1%) females. The mean age was 31.11 ± 11.02 years. Preoperative complications in Group B included empyema seen in 10 (28.5%) patients, rupture of cyst into bronchus in 8 (23.5%), biliopleural fistula in 4 (11.7%), hydropneumothorax in 2 (5.8%), bronchopleural fistula in 1 (2.9%), airway compromise in 1 (2.9%) and pneumonia in 1 (2.9%) patient. Group B required longer days of chest tube placement, longer intensive care unit stay and longer hospital stay (p<0.001). The frequency of postoperative intervention was more in group B (p<0.05), therefore requiring readmission. CONCLUSION:  Surgery has favorable outcomes in the management of HC of lung. Complications associated with complex HC not only requires preoperative intervention like chest tubes but can also lead to life-threatening complications. There is also a frequent need for additional procedures during surgery in cases with complex HC along with greater risk of postoperative complications. All these are associated with prolonged hospital stay, readmissions and greater morbidity. Hence, early diagnosis and referral is needed to avoid these preventable complications associated with cyst rupture.

Early Functional Results of Surgery for Organizing Phase of Empyema Thoracis in a High Output Centre for Thoracic Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the early functional outcome of pulmonary decortication (PD) in patients having organized empyema thoracic (ET).  Methodology: This is a prospective study conducted at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from July 2019 to June 2020. The study included 76 patients referred to the department for assessment and surgery for the indication of organized empyema thoracis. After careful assessment and evaluation of the patients' computed tomography (CT) scans and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in addition to their symptoms, history, etiology of empyema, physical examination and nutrition status, they were recommended pulmonary decortication to release the underlying entrapped lung. Functional improvement was measured in terms of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) three to six months after PD. RESULTS: A total of 76 empyema thoracis patients were included in the study. The mean age of participants was 33.4±11.9 years. The mean duration of empyema symptoms was 7.21±3.7 months. Majority were males (n=61; 80.3%). The full-lung expansion was achieved in 43 patients and partial lung expansion was achieved in 27 patients. The lung failed to expand in five patients. There was one death (lung failed to expand) due to respiratory failure as a result of septicemia. Most of the patients who achieved full-lung expansion had tuberculosis (26; 60.5%), followed by penetrating lung injury (7; 16.2%) and ruptured pulmonary hydatid cysts (5; 11.6%). Statistically significant association was found between etiology and full-lung expansion (p=0.042). Early functional improvement was seen in all patients with PD as mean FEV1 improved from 1.23±0.27 to 2.02±0.5 (63% increase; p<0.001) and FVC from 2.10±0.27 to 2.72±0.41 (29.7% increase; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the results obtained in the present study, it is concluded that pulmonary decortication in carefully selected patients has a vital role in significantly improving early functional results in terms of pulmonary functions.