[Intraoperative and early surgical complications after VATS lobectomy]. / Intraoperatsionnye i rannie khirurgicheskie oslozhneniya pri torakoskopicheskikh lobektomiyakh.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the results of thoracoscopic anatomic lung resections (lobectomy) via reducing the incidence of intraoperative and early surgical complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study enrolled 479 patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy. We determined the main criteria of complications: injury of vascular structures with severe bleeding, damage of the bronchi and adjacent organs. RESULTS: Potentially life-threatening conditions requiring additional surgical manipulations (bleeding in 35 patients, bronchial trauma in 3 patients) were diagnosed in 7.9% (38/479) of cases. Vascular injury with severe bleeding occurred in 7.3% of patients (n=35). Three patients had bronchial trauma (7.9%). We stopped bleeding without thoracotomy in 48.5% (17/35) of patients. In 51.5% (18/35) of cases, emergency thoracotomy was performed. CONCLUSION: The problem of safety is still urgent despite widespread thoracoscopy in lung resections. Knowledge of the factors contributing to complications and working out appropriate algorithm of actions are of great importance.

[Surgical treatment of lung cancer in patients over 75 years old]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie raka legkogo u bol'nykh starshe 75 let.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze surgical treatment of lung cancer in patients over 75 years old. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study enrolled 73 patients. Lobectomy was performed in 50 (68.5%) patients, segmentectomy - 14 (19.2%), pneumonectomy - 4 (5.5%), bilobectomy - 3 (4.1%), wedge resection - 2 (2.7%) patients. The most common clinical scenario was lobectomy for lung adenocarcinoma stage I. Metastases in lymph nodes were noted in 32.9% of cases. Among 9 patients with pN2 (12.9%), lesion of mediastinal lymph nodes was preoperatively diagnosed in 4 (44%) cases. Mean tumor size was 3 (1-14) cm. RESULTS: Overall morbidity was 16.4%, mortality 5.5%. Multivariate analysis revealed the most significant risk factors such as stage IIIb (OR 9.3, 95% CI 1.365-63.816, p=0.023), pN1 (OR 3.889, 95% CI 1.008-14.999, p=0.049), pN2 (OR 5.300, 95% CI 1.170-23.999, p=0.030), central cancer (OR 7.572, 95% CI 1.742-32.884, p=0.007). CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of lung cancer patients over 75 years old may be completed safely and effectively in careful preoperative selection of patients. The most important risk factors of postoperative complications are cancer stage IIIb stage, lymph node lesion and central cancer.

[Diagnostic clinical algorithm for mediastinal tumors]. / Klinicheskii algoritm diagnostikii i lecheniya opukholei sredosteniya.

OBJECTIVE: To optimize therapeutic and tactical algorithm in patients with mediastinal tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 300 patients with mediastinal tumors examined and treated in the Thoracic Surgery Department of the Hertzen Moscow Cancer Research Center between 2008 and 2019. Patients were stratified into 2 groups. The diagnostic group consisted of 160 patients including 80 ones after 89 ultrasound-assisted transthoracic biopsies and 80 patients after open biopsy through parasternal mediastinotomy. The treatment group consisted of 140 patients who underwent 145 resections of mediastinal tumors. We analyzed the results of diagnosis and treatment in both groups, mistakes, risk factors of non-informative biopsies and complicated course of the postoperative period. Subsequently, a clinical algorithm was developed. Its effectiveness in 50 patients was compared with 90 patients who constituted the historical control group. RESULTS: The final histological diagnosis after transthoracic ultrasound-assisted biopsy of the mediastinum was established in 71 out of 89 cases (80%). Informative value of ultrasound-assisted biopsy for thymic tumors was 100%, for metastatic mediastinal lesions - 92%. Repeated ultrasound-assisted biopsies were performed in 7 (9%) patients that made it possible to establish the final diagnosis in 5 (71%) cases. In the parasternal mediastinotomy group, the final correct histological diagnosis was made in 79 out of 80 (99%) patients. Analyzing thoracoscopic approach and traditional sternotomy or thoracotomy, we found surgery time decrease from 187 (150-215) to 140 (122-165) min (p<0.01), blood loss from 300 (200-350) to 50 (35-150) ml (p<0.01), postoperative hospital-day from 12 (9-14.5) to 7 (6-8) days (p<0.01). Mean dimension of tumor was 5 (4-6) cm in the thoracoscopy group and 7.5 (6-10) cm in the open surgery group (p<0.01). Postoperative complications occurred in 19 (13%) patients, mortality rate was 2.8%. Multivariate analysis revealed superior vena cava syndrome (OR=5.1, 95% CI=1.246-21.343; p=0.024) and invasion of the right pleural cavity (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.12-7.69; p=0.006) as the most significant predictors of postoperative complications. The proposed algorithms made it possible to reduce the incidence of non-informative biopsy from 12% to 0% (p<0.05), misdiagnosis from 9% to 1% (p<0.05), exploratory surgeries from 23% to 0% (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The developed algorithm is valuable to avoid the errors and improve the results of diagnosis and treatment of patients with mediastinal tumors.

[Hemangioendothelioma of the right innominate vein]. / Gemangioendotelioma pravoi plechegolovnoi veny.

The authors report a rare case of hemangioendothelioma of the right innominate vein complicated by superior vena cava syndrome. Considering development of enlarged venous collaterals, we performed circular resection of superior vena cava together with the right and left innominate veins without replacement. There were no postoperative complications. The use of vascular prosthesis in patients with long-standing superior vena cava compression and enlarged collaterals is associated with high risk of thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism. Safe circular resection of superior vena cava without replacement is possible after intraoperative test clamping.

[Rethymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis and recurrent thymoma]. / Retimektomiya u bol'nykh miasteniei i retsidivom opukholi vilochkovoi zhelezy.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze efficacy and safety of rethymectomy in patients with pathology of thymus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine patients (2 males and 7 females) underwent rethymectomy in the thoracic surgery department of the Hertzen Research Institute of Oncology for the period from March 2009 to December 2019. Initial thymectomy for myasthenia gravis was performed in 6 patients, for thymoma without myasthenia - in 3 patients. Age of patients varied from 27 to 75 years (median 42.8 years). Myasthenia manifested at the age of 25-61 years (median 29.2 years). Period between manifestation and thymectomy varied from 6 to 24 months (median 12.6 months). MGFA grade IIIa was in 1 patient, grade IIIb - in 1, grade IVa - in 1, grade IVb - in 2, grade V - in 1 patient. Rethymectomy was performed via sternotomy in 4 cases, through thoracoscopy - in 5 patients. RESULTS: Postoperative complications occurred in 2 (22.2%) patients. Biopsy revealed residual thymic tissue in all patients. Median follow-up after rethymectomy was 30.2 months (range 12-132 months). Complete stable remission was achieved in 3 (50.0%) patients, remission - in 2 cases, partial remission - in 1 patient. Median dose of steroids before rethymectomy was 40 mg (range 16-96 mg), median dose after rethymectomy - 8 mg (range 0-24 mg). Differences were significant (p=0.04). All patients operated on for thymoma or recurrence are alive within 12-124 months after rethymectomy. CONCLUSION: Rethymectomy is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with refractory myasthenia gravis (especially in case of detected residual thymic tissue) or recurrent thymoma. Radical surgery for recurrent thymoma ensures favorable survival.

[Segmentectomy in patients with primary pulmonary malignancies]. / Segmentéktomiia pri pervichnykh zlokachestvennykh opukholiakh legkikh.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze immediate and long-term results of anatomical resections for lung cancer with subsequent comparison of the results of segmentectomy and lobectomy in patients with peripheral NSCLC stage IA1-2. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 52 sublobular anatomical resections of the lung for peripheral non-small cell carcinoma and carcinoid T1a-bN0M0, IA1-2 stage. 3D-CT reconstruction with separation of bronchial and vascular structures was used to schedule complex segmentectomy. We retrospectively analyzed 200 patients with cT1a-bN0M0 peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and tumor dimension ≤2 cm who underwent lobectomy (n=148) and segmentectomy (n=52). Mortality, morbidity and overall 5-year survival were compared in two propensity score matched groups (46 pairs, segmentectomy vs. lobectomy). RESULTS: There was no mortality in both groups. Morbidity was similar after segmentectomy and lobectomy (8.69 and 6.52%; p=0.32). 3D-CT with separation of bronchial and vascular structures enabled surgeons to perform atypical segmentectomies and VATS procedures more often (from 13.5 to 31.3%; p>0.05 and from 11.5 to 50.0%; p<0.05). Five-year survival was 82 and 86% (p=0.652) after segmentectomy and lobectomy, respectively. CONCLUSION: Postoperative results and long-term outcome after segmentectomy and lobectomy are comparable in patients with NSCLC cT1a-bN0M0, stage IA1-2. Segmentectomy is advisable surgery in patients with low pulmonary capacity and severe comorbidities.

[Surgery for non-small cell lung carcinoma after previous chemoradiotherapy alone]. / Operatsii u bol'nykh nemelkokletochnym rakom legkogo posle samostoyatel'noi khimioluchevoi terapii.

AIM: To investigate early and remote results of surgery in patients with recurrent non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) after previous chemoradiotherapy alone. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective study included 14 NSCLC patients (10 men and 4 women, mean age 52.6 years) who were operated in thoracic department for the period June 2008 - December 2013. Histologically squamous cell carcinoma prevailed (64.3%). Prior to surgery stage IIB was diagnosed in 2 patients, IIIA in 11 and IIIB in 1 patient. The dose of radiotherapy ranged from 45 to 70 Gr (median 58Gr). The average number of chemotherapy cycles was 3.8 per patient. Pneumonectomy was performed in all patients except one who underwent left-sided lower lobectomy. In all cases bronchial stump was covered by vascularized muscle flap (intercostal, latissimus dorsi). Postoperative complications were classified by TMM system (Thoracic Morbidity and Mortality System). RESULTS: Postoperative complications were observed in 7 (50.0%) patients including level II in 2 cases, IIIA in 1 case, IVA in 3 patients and V (death) in 1 (7.1%) patient. Postoperative stages of lung cancer were IB in 2 cases, IIA in 1, IIB in 5, IIIA in 4 and IIIB in 2 patients. Overall 1, 2 and 3-year survival rate was 89.1%, 82.0% and 48.0% respectively (median 35.0 months). Recurrence-free survival was 84.2%, 72.0% and 24.8%, respectively (median 28.0 months). Overall and recurrence-free 5-year survival rate was 10.8%. CONCLUSION: «Salvage¼ surgery may be recommended as individual approach in patients with reccurent lung cancer after previous chemoradiotherapy.