Medical Thoracoscopy-Assisted Argon Plasma Coagulation Combined with Electrosurgical Unit for the Treatment of Refractory Pneumothorax in Elderly Patients.

PURPOSE: This study aims to compare the effects and prognosis of medical thoracoscopy-assisted argon plasma coagulation (APC) combined with electrosurgical unit (ESU) surgery, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and pleurodesis surgery, in providing appropriate treatment for elderly refractory pneumothorax patients. METHODS: Patients with refractory pneumothorax aged over 65 years were divided into three groups: APC combined with ESU (N = 20), VATS (N = 26), and pleurodesis (N = 24). Data on demographic characteristics, lung function evaluation, and short- and long-term prognoses were collected. RESULTS: Following surgery, compared with the APC-ESU and pleurodesis groups, patients in the VATS group demonstrated poor short-term prognoses, with high pleural effusion drainage levels and high visual analog scores (VAS; P <0.05). After the surgery, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores in the pleurodesis group were slightly elevated, whereas SGRQ scores in both the APC-ESU and VATS groups demonstrated a continual decrease. Finally, medical resource consumption analysis demonstrated a significant difference in hospitalization costs among the three groups; the VATS group being the most expensive. CONCLUSION: Medical thoracoscopy-assisted APC combined with ESU is a safe, effective, and affordable treatment for elderly patients with refractory pneumothorax.

MesoTRAP: a feasibility study that includes a pilot clinical trial comparing video-assisted thoracoscopic partial pleurectomy decortication with indwelling pleural catheter in patients with trapped lung due to malignant pleural mesothelioma designed to address recruitment and randomisation uncertainties and sample size requirements for a phase III trial.

Introduction: One of the most debilitating symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is dyspnoea caused by pleural effusion. MPM can be complicated by the presence of tumour on the visceral pleura preventing the lung from re-expanding, known as trapped lung (TL). There is currently no consensus on the best way to manage TL. One approach is insertion of an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) under local anaesthesia. Another is video-assisted thoracoscopic partial pleurectomy/decortication (VAT-PD). Performed under general anaesthesia, VAT-PD permits surgical removal of the rind of tumour from the visceral pleura thereby allowing the lung to fully re-expand. Methods and analysis: MesoTRAP is a feasibility study that includes a pilot multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial comparing VAT-PD with IPC in patients with TL and pleural effusion due to MPM. The primary objective is to measure the SD of visual analogue scale scores for dyspnoea following randomisation and examine the patterns of change over time in each treatment group. Secondary objectives include documenting survival and adverse events, estimating the incidence and prevalence of TL in patients with MPM, examining completion of alternative forms of data capture for economic evaluation and determining the ability to randomise 38 patients in 18 months. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the East of England-Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority (reference number 16/EE/0370). We aim to publish the outputs of this work in international peer-reviewed journals compliant with an Open Access policy. Trial registration: NCT03412357.

Does Sericin, as a Novel Pleurodesis Agent, Have Higher Effectiveness Compared to Talcum Powder, Doxycycline, and Silver Nitrate Pleurodesis?

INTRODUCTION: The usefulness of sericin as pleurodesis agent has previously been described. Present study aims to compare sericin pleurodesis regarding success, effectiveness, tolerability, and side-effects. METHODS: Adult, 12-week-old Wistar-albino rats (n=60), divided to five groups as sericin, talcum-powder, doxycycline, silver-nitrate and control. Agents were administrated through left thoracotomy, rats sacrificed twelve-days after. RESULTS: Highest ratio of collagen fibers was observed in sericin group, and the intensity was higher than talcum-powder group (p<0.05). Compared to silver nitrate, sericin group displayed better mesothelial reaction, and multi-layer mesothelium was also better (p<0.05). Foreign body reaction and emphysema were less frequent in sericin group (p<0.05). The presence of biological tissue in parenchyma was less prominent in sericin group (p<0.05). Foreign body reaction on thoracic wall was less common in sericin group (p<0.05). Presence of biological tissue glue in thoracic wall was less prominent in sericin group (p<0.05). Glomerular degeneration was lower in sericin group compared to the silver nitrate group (p<0.05), and tubular degeneration was less common in sericin group than talcum group (p<0.05). Pericarditis was less common in sericin group compared to the other groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: As an intrinsic, natural glue protein, sericin protects the lung parenchyma and tissues, and its glue-like characteristics enable pleurodesis. The success of sericin in pleurodesis was demonstrated in the present study based on investigations of the pleurae. Being cost-effective and better tolerated agent associated with a low potential of side effects, sericin is more effective, less expensive and provides more lung parenchyma protection.

Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion: A Cost-Utility Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is associated with a significant impact on health-related quality of life. Palliative interventions abound, with varying costs and degrees of invasiveness. We examined the relative cost-utility of 5 therapeutic alternatives for MPE among adults. METHODS: Original studies investigating the management of MPE were extensively researched, and the most robust and current data particularly those from the TIME2 trial were chosen to estimate event probabilities. Medicare data were used for cost estimation. Utility estimates were adapted from 2 original studies and kept consistent with prior estimations. The decision tree model was based on clinical guidelines and authors' consensus opinion. Primary outcome of interest was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for each intervention over a less effective alternative over an analytical horizon of 6 months. Given the paucity of data on rapid pleurodesis protocol, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to address the uncertainty surrounding its efficacy in terms of achieving long-term pleurodesis. RESULTS: Except for repeated thoracentesis (RT; least effective), all interventions had similar effectiveness. Tunneled pleural catheter was the most cost-effective option with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $45,747 per QALY gained over RT, assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY. Multivariate sensitivity analysis showed that rapid pleurodesis protocol remained cost-ineffective even with an estimated probability of lasting pleurodesis up to 85%. CONCLUSIONS: Tunneled pleural catheter is the most cost-effective therapeutic alternative to RT. This, together with its relative convenience (requiring neither hospitalization nor thoracoscopic procedural skills), makes it an intervention of choice for MPE.

Predictive value of systemic and local inflammation parameters in talc pleurodesis assessment.

BACKGROUND: One option for the palliative treatment of recurrent malignant pleural effusion is powdered talc using thoracoscopy. This paper presents the results of selected systemic and local manifestations of the talc-induced inflammatory reaction using a videothoracoscope. METHOD: A total of 114 patients with repeated malignant pleural effusion were treated at the Cardiac Surgery Clinic in Hradec Kralove from January 2010 to December 2012. Those with a life expectancy more than ≥ 3 months were eligible for talcage surgery. The group was retrospectively divided according to treatment results into Group A (N1 = 98 - successful) and Group B (N2 = 16 - relapsing). The pleural effusion was quantified using ultrasound over 1 year at 3-month intervals. Systemic changes due to the inflammatory reaction (body temperature, serum leukocyte and CRP levels) were evaluated. Local indicators of inflammation included changes in the leukocyte cell population in the effusion and changes in the pleural CRP levels. The dynamics of local expression of membrane receptors TLR-2 and CD-64 on granulocyte and monocyte cell populations in the pleural effusion were also evaluated. RESULTS: The reaction after talcage, included a significant increase in axillary temperature and leukocyte count, 12 h after the procedure. The dynamics were different in the two groups. The dynamics of local inflammatory changes were an early increase in the pleural CRP levels in both groups. The time interval of local inflammatory development and duration was related to the treatment efficacy and showed a significant rise 2 h after talcage in Group A. In Group B the local inflammatory reaction was slower and the rise was only observed 24 h after talc application. A decrease in lymphocyte count and an increase in granulocyte count 2 h after talcage were found. After an initial drop in monocyte level, a rise occurred within 24 h after talcage. Changes in the expression of TLR-2 and CD-64 receptors in relation to their cell carriers were observed depending on time after talcage. CONCLUSION: The differences in the serum and pleural effusion CRP levels suggest that the surgical stress manifests itself locally in the pleural space with a lower intensity and time delay. The TLR-2 and CD-64 receptors exhibit different behaviour depending on the type of cell membrane where they are found. The inverse relation between the granulocyte increase and TLR-2 receptor decrease in the membrane immediately after talcage is a new finding. The dynamics of TLR-2 expression on the monocytes demonstrates a direct proportion between the increasing expression of the TLR-2 receptor and increasing percent fraction of the cell carrier.

Pleural controversy: pleurodesis versus indwelling pleural catheters for malignant effusions.

Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are a common complication of advanced malignancy. The treatment of MPE should be focused on palliation of associated symptoms. The traditional approach to MPE has been to attempt pleurodesis by introducing a sclerosant into the pleural space. A more recent development in the treatment of MPE has been the use of indwelling pleural catheters (IPC) for ongoing drainage of the pleural space. Controversy exists as to which approach is superior. Pleurodesis approaches will have the advantage of a time-limited course of treatment and high pleurodesis rate at the cost of a more invasive procedure requiring a general anaesthetic or conscious sedation (for thoracoscopic approaches) and an inpatient hospital stay. Use of IPC will allow the patient to be treated on an outpatient basis with a minimally invasive procedure, at the cost of long-term need for catheter drainage and care. Symptom control appears similar between techniques. Complication rates between the two approaches cannot be easily compared, but studies suggest more frequent severe complications such as respiratory failure, arrhythmias and even mortality following pleurodesis, with infection rates similar between the two approaches. IPC will likely see increasing utilization in the future but patient preference and local resources and expertise will continue to play a significant part in treatment decisions. Randomized trials directly comparing the two approaches are needed and some are underway. Novel combination approaches utilizing both IPC and pleurodesis agents have the potential to further improve the care of these patients.

Pleurodesis with iodized talc for malignant effusions using pigtail catheters.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of using an iodized talc slurry as a sclerosing agent instilled into the pleural space via a 12-French pigtail catheter for controlling malignant pleural effusions. DESIGN: A prospective study in which patients were followed until their death. SETTING: A university-affiliated tertiary-care teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Medical oncology patients admitted with symptomatic malignant pleural effusions were considered for iodized talc pleurodesis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The control of pleural effusion. Treatment failure was defined as any reaccumulation of fluid in the pleural space. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were treated for a total of 17 instillations. The median follow-up on all patients until death was 6 months (range 1-20). The most frequent adverse effect in the study group was pleuritic chest pain (60%). The probability of control of effusion, as determined by the method of Kaplan-Meier, was 81% (SEM 9.7%). The cost of preparing 5 g of iodized talc was $4.32 (US). CONCLUSIONS: Iodized talc slurry instilled through a small-bore pigtail catheter is a safe, economical, and effective treatment for malignant pleural effusion.

Video assisted thoracoscopic management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Although Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) is now accepted by many as the approach of choice in the management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), the optimal procedure and the timing of surgical intervention remain areas of contention. The authors reviewed their combined experience with 518 consecutive VATS procedures for PSP in 483 patients. Mechanical pleurodesis was performed in every case and was the only procedure in 20 patients. We had experience with several means of eliminating subpleural bullae once identified: stapled bullectomy (196), endoloop (261), argon beam coagulation (6) and endoscopic suturing (35). There were no mortality or intraoperative complications. Median postoperative hospital stay was 3 days. So far, we have had 9 recurrences (1.74%), after a mean follow up of 20 months (range one to 36 months). Complications consisted of 18 persistent air leaks, 14 would infections and 1 chest wall bleeding. We conclude that (1) VATS is a safe and effective approach in the treatment of PSP; (2) Stapled-bullectomy is quick and reliable but costly; (3) Endoloop and suturing are viable alternative techniques that may prove to be more cost effective; (4) we do not recommend to use argon beam coagulation as the primary treatment modality.