Surgical Treatment of Gastro-Pulmonary Fistula Following Bariatric Surgery: Possible and Safe.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a common surgical management of morbid obesity. Major complication rate is 3-8%. Staple line leak is one of the most serious complications. In a small group of patients, a gastro-pulmonary fistula is formed. Endoscopic and minimally invasive measures are the first line of treatment with considerable success rate. There are very poor data in the literature what should be done in cases of failure. In this paper, we report our positive experience with definitive surgical repair. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of 13 consecutive patients referred to the general thoracic surgery department for gastro-pulmonary fistula following sleeve gastrectomy. RESULTS: Prior to their referral, all patients underwent surgical or percutaneous drainage and multiple treatment attempts including stent insertion, pyloric dilatation, endo-clip/ring closure, endoscopic argon ablation and glue injection. Two patients underwent emergency thoracotomy for sepsis and bile empyema. One died in the early postoperative period. Eleven patients underwent semi-elective definitive surgery. Surgery included left lower lobectomy, partial diaphragmectomy and digestive system reconstruction. There was no mortality or major complications in this group. Complication rate was 45% mostly local wound infection and pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Gastro-pulmonary fistula is a rare devastating complication of sleeve gastrectomy. When minimally invasive measures fail, there is no place for nihilism. Surgical repair is possible and safe. The data presented herein support this treatment policy.

Hybrid video-assisted and limited open (VALO) resection of superior sulcus tumors.

PURPOSE: To compare the postoperative recovery of patients with superior sulcus tumors (Pancoast tumors) following conventional open surgery vs. a hybrid video-assisted and limited open approach (VALO). METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 20 patients we operated on to resect a Pancoast tumor. All patients received induction chemo-radiation followed by surgery, performed via either a conventional thoracotomy approach (n = 10) or the hybrid VALO approach (n = 10). In the hybrid VALO group, lobectomy and internal chest wall preparation were performed using a video technique, with rib resection and specimen removal through a limited incision. RESULTS: There was no mortality in either group. Two patients from the thoracotomy group required mechanical ventilation, but there was no major morbidity in the hybrid VALO group. The operative times were similar for the two procedures. The average length of hospital stay was shorter and the average pain scores were significantly lower in the hybrid VALO group. The incidence of chronic pain was 10 % in the hybrid VALO group vs. 50 % in the thoracotomy group. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid VALO resection of Pancoast tumors is feasible and safe, resulting in faster patient recovery and a significantly lower incidence of severe chronic pain than open thoracotomy. We conclude that centers experienced with video-assisted lobectomy should consider hybrid VALO surgery as the procedure of choice for Pancoast tumors.

Timing of Lung Transplant Referral in Patients with Severe COVID-19 Lung Injury Supported by ECMO.

Severe respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 often requires mechanical ventilation, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In rare cases, lung transplantation (LTx) may be considered as a last resort. However, uncertainties remain about patient selection and optimal timing for referral and listing. This retrospective study analyzed patients with severe COVID-19 who were supported by veno-venous ECMO and listed for LTx between July 2020 and June 2022. Out of the 20 patients in the study population, four who underwent LTx were excluded. The clinical characteristics of the remaining 16 patients were compared, including nine who recovered and seven who died while awaiting LTx. The median duration from hospitalization to listing was 85.5 days, and the median duration on the waitlist was 25.5 days. Younger age was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of recovery without LTx after a median of 59 days on ECMO, compared to those who died at a median of 99 days. In patients with severe COVID-19-induced lung damage supported by ECMO, referral to LTx should be delayed for 8-10 weeks after ECMO initiation, particularly for younger patients who have a higher probability of spontaneous recovery and may not require LTx.

Resection and heated pleural chemoperfusion in patients with thymic epithelial malignant disease and pleural spread: a single-institution experience.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate whether resection and heated pleural chemoperfusion (HPCP) is an effective treatment for de novo stage IVa thymoma (DNT) and thymic carcinoma (TC) and for thymoma with pleural relapse (TPR). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of patients undergoing resection and HPCP in 1 center. HPCP with cisplatinum ± doxorubicin (adriamycin) was performed for 60 minutes using a standard roller pump and a modified heat exchanger to a maximal intrapleural temperature of 43°C. Follow-up included at least 1 annual computed tomographic scan until death or March 2012. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients, 17 DNT, 14 TPR, and 4 TC, completed 42 intended treatments and were followed up for 4 to 202 months (median, 62 months). Seven patients had repeated HPCP at an interval of 2 to 12 years. There was no systemic toxicity. Ninety-day mortality was 2.5%. Major and minor morbidity occurred in 12% each. Five-, 10-, and 15-year overall survivals for DNT, TPR, and TC were 81%, 73%, 58% (DNT), 67%, 56%, 28% (TPR), and 0%, 0%, 0% (TC). Five- and 10-year progression-free survival was 61%, 43% for DNT and 48%, 18% for TPR. Presently, 11 of 17 DNT patients are alive (6, no evidence of disease), and 8 of 14 TPR are alive (6, no evidence of disease). Median survival for thymoma was 157 months. Overall survival was unrelated to any preoperative or intraoperative variable. Progression-free survival was improved in R0 compared with R1-2 resection (P < .001). Local control achieved in 21 (57%) of 37 procedures in thymoma patients was related only to completeness of resection (P = .015). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Lung-sparing resection and HPCP is feasible and safe. (2) In thymoma with pleural spread it offers excellent survival despite moderate pleural control. (3) Preliminary results with stage IVa TC are disappointing.