Reintervention Rate After Pigtail Catheter Insertion Compared to Surgical Chest Tubes.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest similar efficacy between large-bore chest tube (CT) placement and small-bore pigtail catheter (PC) placement for the treatment of pleural space processes. This study examined reintervention rates of CT and PC in patients with pneumothorax, hemothorax, and pleural effusion. METHODS: This retrospective study examined patients from September 2015 through December 2020. Patients were identified using ICD codes for pneumothorax, hemothorax, or pleural effusion. Use of a pigtail catheter (≤14Fr) or surgical chest tube (≥20Fr) was noted. The primary outcome was overall reintervention rate within 30 days of tube insertion. Patients who died with a pleural drainage catheter in place, unrelated to complications from chest tube placement, were excluded. RESULTS: There were 1032 total patients in the study: 706 CT patients and 326 PC patients. The PC group was older with more comorbidities and more likely to have effusion as the indication for pleural drainage. Patients with PC were 2.35 times more likely to have the tube replaced or repositioned (P < .0001), 1.77 times more likely to require any reintervention (P = .001) and 2.09 times more likely to remain in the hospital >14 days (P < .0001) compared to patients with CT. CONCLUSION: PCs have a significantly higher reintervention rate compared to CT for the treatment of pneumothorax, hemothorax, and pleural effusion. Although PC are believed to cause less pain and tissue trauma, they do not necessarily drain the pleural space as well as CT. Decisions on which method of draining the chest should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Presenting Symptomatology of Mediastinal Masses and Its Effect on Surgical Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Mediastinal masses are commonly encountered by the thoracic surgeon. Few studies have reported on the frequency and characteristics of symptoms at presentation. The primary objective of this study is to determine how often patients present with symptoms from a mediastinal mass. The secondary objective is to determine if the presence of symptoms has an effect on outcomes after surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review of an institutional database was performed. All patients who underwent surgical resection of a mediastinal mass from 2013 to 2019 were included in the analysis. Medical records were reviewed for the presence or absence of symptoms preoperatively, and these cohorts were compared. Multivariable analysis was performed, adjusting for clinical variables to assess for differences between these cohorts. RESULTS: 70 patients underwent surgery for a mediastinal mass. The average age was 49.2 years, and 46 patients (65.7%) presented with symptoms. There were no significant differences in demographics between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. The most common symptom was dyspnea in 18 patients (22%), followed by chest pain (15 patients, 19%) and dysphagia (8 patients, 10%). When comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, symptomatic patients had a larger tumor size (5.8 cm vs 3.8 cm, P = .04) and a longer length of stay (2.0 days vs 1.2 days, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with mediastinal masses present with symptoms, with the most common symptom being dyspnea. Symptomatic patients are more likely to have a larger tumor and tend to have a longer length of hospital stay postoperatively compared to asymptomatic patients.

Patient Adherence in an Academic Medical Center's Low-dose Computed Tomography Screening Program.

OBJECTIVES: Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening is an important tool for reducing lung cancer mortality. This study describes a single center's experience with LDCT and attempts to identify any barriers to compliance with standard guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of a single university-based hospital system from 2015 to 2019. All individuals who met eligibility for lung cancer screening were entered into a database. The definition of adherence with the screening program was determined by the recommended timeline for the follow-up LDCT. Cohorts were split by adherence and demographics were compared. RESULTS: A total of 203 LDCTs were performed in 121 patients who met eligibility for LDCT and had appropriate surveillance from 2015 to 2019. The average age was 64 years old. The overall adherence rate for prescribed LDCTs was 59.1%. Patients with Lung-RADS score 2 had 2.43 times higher odds of adherence relative to patients with Lung-RADS score 1 (odds ratio [OR]=2.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-4.83; P=0.011). African American patients had 42% lower odds of adherence relative to white patients (OR=0.58; 95% CI: 0.32-1.06; P=0.076). Patients with non-District of Columbia zip codes had 57% higher odds of adherence relative to those with District of Columbia zip codes, although this did not reach statistical significance (OR=1.57; 95% CI: 0.87-2.82; P=0.136). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the implementation of a multidisciplinary, academic LDCT screening program, overall adherence rate to prescribed follow-up scans was suboptimal. Socioeconomic disparities and African American race may negatively affect adherence to lung cancer screening LDCT guidelines. Patients with concerning findings on initial LDCT had a higher association of adherence to guidelines.

Analyzing the Time From Discovery to Definitive Surgical Therapy for Lung Cancer Based on Referral Patterns.

OBJECTIVE: Surgery for early stage non-small cell lung cancer can be curative. A delay from diagnosis to surgery can lead to increased mortality. Our objective was to determine if referring patients to specialists before a thoracic surgeon caused a delay in definitive treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of patients who had surgery for non-small cell lung cancer by a single surgeon at our institution from 2013 to 2016. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who saw a specialist before a thoracic surgeon and patients who were referred directly to a surgeon once the pulmonary nodule was identified on computed tomography (CT). The time from initial CT to resection was compared. Secondary analysis compared private insurance versus Medicare/Medicaid. Percentage of patients upstaged was compared. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups when comparing time from CT to surgery (79.88 vs. 79.90 d; P=0.58). There was a significant decrease in time from CT to surgery for patients with private insurance compared with Medicare/Medicaid patients (66.05 vs. 86.99 d; P=0.03) and fewer private insurance patients were upstaged (22.9% vs. 31.8%; P=0.32). More patients who saw a different specialist first were upstaged compared with patients sent directly to thoracic surgery (32.6% vs. 22.2%; P=0.22). CONCLUSIONS: When comparing time from CT detection of a lung nodule to surgery, no significant difference was found between patients sent to nonthoracic specialists first and those referred directly to a thoracic surgeon. There was a significant decrease in time from CT to surgery for patients with private insurance compared with Medicare/Medicaid.

Robotic resection of a thoracic duct cyst.

A 69-year-old male presented with back tightness. Computed tomography revealed a 5 cm × 3 cm cystic para-oesophageal mass. A right robotic-assisted thoracoscopic resection was performed. Final pathology revealed a thoracic duct cyst (TDC). Robotic resection of a TDC has not been described in the literature previously but is shown in this report to be an effective and efficient way to perform the procedure. We suspect that robotic resection of mediastinal masses such as TDCs will become more common. Further studies comparing robotic to non-robotic resection of mediastinal masses would be helpful to determine the preferred treatment while minimising morbidity, length of stay and cost.

Length of stay and hospitalization costs for patients undergoing lung surgery with Progel pleural air leak sealant.

AIM: Progel Pleural Air Leak Sealant (Progel) is currently the only sealant approved by the FDA for the treatment of air leaks during lung surgery. This study was performed to determine whether Progel use improves hospital length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs compared with other synthetic/fibrin sealants in patients undergoing lung surgery. METHODS: The US Premier hospital database was used to identify lung surgery discharges from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2015. Eligible discharges were categorized as "Progel Sealant" or "other sealants" using hospital billing data. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for hospital and patient differences between study groups. Primary outcomes were hospital LOS and all-cause hospitalization costs. Clinical outcomes, hospital re-admissions, and sealant product use were also described. RESULTS: After PSM, a total of 2,670 discharges were included in each study group; baseline characteristics were balanced between groups. The hospital LOS (mean days ± standard deviation, median) was significantly shorter for the Progel group (9.9 ± 9.6, 7.0) compared with the other sealants group (11.3 ± 12.8, 8.0; p < .001). Patients receiving Progel incurred significantly lower all-cause hospitalization costs ($31,954 ± $29,696, $23,904) compared with patients receiving other sealants ($36,147 ± $42,888, $24,702; p < .001). LIMITATIONS: It is not possible to say that sealant type alone was responsible for the findings of this study, and analysis was restricted to the data available in the Premier database. CONCLUSIONS: Among hospital discharges for lung surgery, Progel use was associated with significantly shorter hospital LOS and lower hospitalization costs compared with other synthetic/fibrin sealants, without compromising clinical outcomes.

Pleural lipoma clinically mimicking the presentation of superior sulcus tumour upon initial evaluation.

Here we present a case of a large pleural lipoma which presented with paresthesias of the hand. This is an unusual presentation of an uncommon tumour.

Thoracoscopic Resection of Multiple Müllerian Cysts.

Müllerian cysts in the mediastinum were first described by Hattori in 2005 [1]. We report the first known case of multiple müllerian cysts in the thorax in a 35-year-old woman with cough and an abnormal chest roentgenogram. Multiple bilateral cysts were resected thoracoscopically. Histologic examination showed benign ciliated tubal epithelium that stained positive with immunohistochemical stains for estrogen receptor (ER), cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), Wilms' tumor protein 1 (WT-1), and paired box gene 8 (PAX8), confirming müllerian origin. We also review the embryogenesis and pathologic characteristics of müllerian cysts and the rare occurrence of their migration to the thorax.

Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic resection of a benign anterior mediastinal teratoma.

There is an emerging body of evidence to support robotic-assisted mediastinal surgery, particularly for thymectomy. We describe the case of a 42-year-old woman with a benign anterior mediastinal teratoma resected by robotic-assisted thoracoscopy. This case illustrates the use of robotic-assisted surgery in a less commonly encountered mass of the anterior mediastinum.

Mediastinal thoracic duct cyst.

Thoracic duct cysts of the mediastinum are rare. This case report describes a 68-year-old woman who was successfully treated with surgical resection. The clinical and radiographic presentation and pathology are discussed, and the pertinent literature is reviewed.

Elastofibroma dorsi: clinicopathologic review of 6 cases.

Elastofibroma dorsi is a rare, benign lesion arising from connective tissue and usually found at the angle of the scapula. Surgical resection is often indicated in the presence of an enlarging mass or when malignancy can not be excluded. Herein we report our most recent case of elastofibroma dorsi and our review of 6 cases from the past 16 years.

Pulmonary resection after successful downstaging with photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment option for lung cancer that involves the administration of a photosensitizing agent and selective, bronchoscopic delivery of light to tumor tissue that has retained the agent. Currently, PDT is used either to treat microinvasive endobronchial nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or to palliate patients with completely or partially obstructing endobronchial NSCLC. Herein is a case of PDT that successfully downstaged an obstructing endobronchial NSCLC, thereby enabling a complete resection. At 9 months postoperatively, the patient was treated for a chest wall recurrence with no evidence of disease in the airway or mediastinum.