Extended thoracotomy for main pulmonary artery access: Two lung cancer cases.

This report details two cases of right upper-lobe lung cancer, of patients aged 62 and 56 years, requiring complex bronchoplasty and thoracoscopic surgeries. In both cases, owing to intraoperative complications, extended thoracotomies were performed to gain access to the right main pulmonary artery. The postoperative courses were uneventful, implying that this approach was safe. Uncomplicated postoperative recoveries underscore the need for adaptable surgical techniques, especially when traditional positioning fails. It emphasizes extending thoracotomy incisions for safer hilar structure access, offering insights for handling similar complex surgeries where standard methods falter.

Wedge extended bronchoplasty with caliber adjustment by membranous suture.

Extended bronchoplasty for the left lower lobe lung tumors with interlobar lymph node involvement is a useful surgical technique for avoiding pneumonectomy. Typically, sleeve bronchoplasty, in which the superior division bronchus and the left main bronchus are separated and anastomosed, is chosen due to the difference in caliber of the anastomosis; herein, we report a wedge extended bronchoplasty in which the superior division bronchus and the left main bronchus were not completely separated. The main point of this technique is to adjust the difference in caliber by suturing the main bronchial membranes.

Complex Sleeve Lobectomy Has Lower Postoperative Major Complications Than Pneumonectomy in Patients with Centrally Located Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Standard sleeve lobectomies are recommended over pneumonectomy (PN), but the efficacy and oncological proficiency of complex sleeve lobectomies (CSLs) have not been completely investigated. The aim of this study was to report our experience in CSL in patients affected by a centrally located non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), comparing all the variables and outcomes with PN. METHODS: From 2014 to 2022, we collected the data of patients who underwent PN and CSL for NSCLC, excluding neuroendocrine tumors, salvage surgery or carinal resection. Regression analysis was used to assess the association between procedures and complications; the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate survival and risk factors of reduced survival. RESULTS: We analyzed n = 38 extended sleeve lobectomies and n= 6 double-sleeve lobectomies (CSL group) and n= 60 PNs. We had a trend toward higher postoperative mortality in the PN group (5% vs. 0%, p = 0.13). Major complications and bronchial fistula developed in 21.7% and 6.8% (p = 0.038) and in 6.7% and 4.5% (p = 0.64), respectively. The right side was identified as risk factor for major complications, whereas age > 70 and PN had a trend of association in multivariable analysis. The median OS was similar between the two groups (p = 0.76) and cancer recurrence was the only significant risk factors of reduced OS. Excluding functionally compromised patients, the OS of CSL was better than that of PN (67% vs. 42%, p = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: Considering that major complications are often associated with mortality after surgery for centrally located NSCLC, CSLs could be considered an alternative to PN while also ensuring comparable survival.

Emergent airway recanalization of the left main bronchus due to obstructive adenoid cystic carcinoma enables achievement of radical resection.

Malignant airway obstruction is a life-threatening condition that can cause suffocation and recurrent infections due to lung atelectasis. Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare and slow-growing tumour of low-grade malignancy. We report the case of a 69-year-old female who presented with severe chest pain, orthopnea, and a 1-month history of progressively worsening difficulty in breathing. Emergent rigid bronchoscopy revealed a polypoid tumour originating in the proximal end of the left main bronchus that was obstructing the left main bronchus. Debulking of the tumour using rigid bronchoscopy was performed to restore ventilation to collapsed lung and obtain histopathological examination. Histological analysis revealed a diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma. The patient underwent radical sleeve resection of the left main bronchus without sacrificing lung parenchyma via left posterolateral thoracotomy. No postoperative complications or disease recurrence was found at the 5-year follow-up. This case emphasizes the pivotal role of rigid bronchoscopic intervention in malignant central airway obstruction.

Anastomosis Complications after Bronchoplasty: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Treatment Options Reported by a Referral Cancer Center.

BACKGROUND: Sleeve lobectomy with bronchoplasty is a safe surgical technique for the management of lung cancer and endobronchial localization of extrapulmonary cancers. However, anastomotic complications can occur, and treatment strategies are not standardized. METHODS: Data from 280 patients subjected to bronchoplasty were retrospectively analyzed, focusing on surgical techniques, anastomotic complications, and their management. Multivariate analysis was performed, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine survival. RESULTS: Ninety percent of 280 surgeries were for lung cancer. Anastomotic complications occurred in 6.42% of patients: late stenosis in 3.92% and broncho-pleural fistula in 1.78%. The median survival was 65.90 months (95% CI = 41.76-90.97), with no difference (p = 0.375) for patients with (51.28 months) or without (71.03 months) anastomotic complications. Mortality at 30 days was higher with anastomotic complications (16.7% vs. 3%, p = 0.014). Multivariable analysis confirmed pathological stage (N+) as a risk factor for anastomotic complications (p = 0.016). Our mortality (3.93%) and morbidity rate (41.78%) corresponded to recent series results. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, surgery is preferred to avoid life-threatening complications in bronchopleural fistulas. Bronchoscopic balloon dilatation is preferred for benign strictures. The nodal stage is related to complications (p = 0.0014), reflecting the aggressiveness of surgery, which requires extended radical lymphadenectomy.

Robotic pulmonary segmentectomy, initial experience in the Czech Republic.

INTRODUCTION: The initiation of lung cancer screening in Czechia and diagnosis in earlier stages has been reflected by an increasing demand for anatomical lung segmentectomy. The purpose of this study was to describe early results of the first robotic-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomies performed in the country. METHODS: Our institution has performed 151 robotic anatomical lung resections since the initiation of the screening program in August 2020, which enabled us to attain the status of a proctoring and case observation centre. The robotic segmentectomy program was initiated after completing 70 robotic lobectomies. We performed a retrospective analysis of the results of our first 20 patients indicated for robotic segmentectomy. RESULTS: Median age of the patients was 60, with 11 females and 7 males. The most common indications included primary lung malignancy (n=13), pulmonary metastasis (n=2) and benign lesions (n=3). We performed 11 simple segmentectomies, 6 complex (S2, S3, S1a+2, S10 on the right) and one right S6 segmentectomy with bronchoplasty. The mean number of harvested lymph nodes for NSCLC was 20, the mean blood loss was 25 mL (from 10 mL to 100 mL), and the mean operative time was 200 minutes. All resection margins were tumour-free. There was no conversion to thoracotomy. Two patients were excluded as they required conversion to robotic lobectomy given that their lesions were localized close to the intersegmental plane. One complication (recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis) occurred in 1 patient. Mean chest tube duration was 1.9 days and length of stay 3.9 days. CONCLUSION: Our experience suggests that implementation of the robotic segmentectomy program after completion of the robotic learning curve provides promising outcomes. Robotic technology and preoperative planning facilitate this technically demanding procedure especially when bronchoplasty is required.

Safety and feasibility of preferential manual bronchoplasty in 2-3 cm single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aimed to compare preferential manual bronchoplasty (PMB) and mechanical stapler closure (MSC) of the bronchial stump after 2-3 cm single-port (SP) video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy in patients with pathological T1 (pT1) stage lung cancer. METHODS: Between January 2019 and March 2022, patients with pulmonary neoplasms who underwent 2-3 cm SP VATS lobectomy were retrospectively screened. After propensity-matched analysis, we compared perioperative outcomes and analyzed the safety and feasibility of PMB and MSC of the bronchial stump while performing VATS lobectomy. RESULTS: In this study, 280 and 832 patients were enrolled in the PMB and MSC groups, respectively. Propensity score matching produced 280 pairs. The operation time was shorter in the PMB group, whereas the average number of lymph nodes dissected was higher in the PMB group. The conversion rate was significantly lower in the PMB group. The following were similar between the PMB and MSC groups, respectively: average blood loss volume, postoperative hospital stay, and chest tube removal time. Postoperatively, the incidence of atelectasis was significantly higher in the MSC group. As per subgroup analyses, PMB was associated with a shorter operation time in left and right upper lobectomies. Particularly in left upper lobectomy, PMB had more lymph node dissections and less conversion to open and postoperative atelectasis. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with MSC of the bronchial stump, PMB showed better safety and feasibility in 2-3 cm SP VATS left and right superior lobectomies in patients with pT1 stage lung cancer.

Surgical Outcomes After Pulmonary Resection With Typical or Atypical Bronchoplasty in Patients With Primary Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Atypical bronchoplasty is essential for complete tumor removal and preservation of peripheral lung tissue. This study compared surgical outcomes after atypical or typical bronchoplasty in patients who underwent pulmonary sleeve resection with bronchoplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Typical bronchoplasty was defined as that after one-lobe sleeve resection; atypical bronchoplasty was defined as that after sleeve bilobectomy or sleeve removal of one lobe plus segments. Double-barreled bronchoplasty was also included in the atypical group. Surgical outcomes were retrospectively investigated according to type of bronchoplasty. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent typical bronchoplasty and 20 atypical bronchoplasty. Recurrence was seen in 17 out of 51 (33%) patients after typical bronchoplasty and 10 out of 20 patients (50%) after atypical bronchoplasty. The recurrence-free survival rate was significantly poorer in the atypical bronchoplasty group (p=0.038). However, patients in the atypical bronchoplasty group were able to receive anticancer treatment for tumor recurrence, and there was no significant difference in overall survival rates between the groups. CONCLUSION: Preservation of pulmonary function by atypical bronchoplasty might contribute to tolerability of anticancer treatment for tumor recurrence. Pulmonary resection with atypical bronchoplasty is reliably beneficial for overall survival.

Complex Robotic Lung Resection.

Performing robotic thoracic lung resection is becoming an option for patients with complex thoracic disease. The robotic-assisted approach has similar survival with decreased postoperative pain, morbidity, and hospital length of stay compared with the open approach in pneumonectomy, bronchoplasty, and arterioplasty. Appropriate patient selection based on medical and surgical history combined with surgeon experience is imperative for an excellent outcome. This article will discuss the use of the robot in pneumonectomy, arterioplasty, and bronchoplasty to provide information about the technical approach and postoperative management.

Pulmonary sleeve resection complications and management.

In tumors involving the central airway or vascular structures, achieving local control and preserving pulmonary function can be possible with a pulmonary sleeve resection. In this section, complications and management of pulmonary sleeve resections are discussed.

Detailed Surgical Techniques and Short-term Clinical Outcomes of Sleeve Lobectomy for Locally Advanced Right Lower Lobe Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The surgical techniques of pulmonary resection with bronchoplasty for right lower lobe lung cancer are not well investigated. This study aimed to provide a detailed description of the pulmonary resection with bronchoplasty technique, including the appropriate patient selection process, in right lower lobe lung cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical courses of 17 right lower lobe lung cancer patients who had undergone pulmonary resection with bronchoplasty were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Of the 17 patients, 9 had right lower sleeve lobectomy, 5 had right middle and lower sleeve lobectomy, and 3 had right lower sleeve lobectomy with double-barreled bronchoplasty. The median follow-up period was 26 months. There were no treatment-related deaths. Distant organ recurrence was observed in 5 patients and local recurrence was identified in 3. One patient had pneumonia and another had prolonged air leak. Two patients, each of whom had either lower sleeve lobectomy or lower sleeve lobectomy with double-barreled bronchoplasty, developed bronchopleural fistula, and both patients were treated with additional surgery. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary resection with bronchoplasty should be performed only in oncologically and anatomically select patients. Our findings can be used as a guide to select the optimal treatments for this subgroup of patients.

Risk factors and outcomes of bronchopleural fistula after bronchoplasty in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective multivariate analysis.

Background: Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a rare but severe complication following bronchoplasty. Identification of the risk factors for the development of BPF after bronchoplasty may contribute to better perioperative management, thereby further improving the prognosis of these patients. However, few studies have focused on the risk factors for BPF after bronchoplasty. This study aimed to explore the risk factors and outcomes for BPF after bronchoplasty in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The data of NSCLC patients who underwent bronchoplasty between September 2005 and August 2020 in our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Detailed information on demographic characteristics, preoperative assessment, perioperative outcomes were collected from Western China Lung Cancer Database. The diagnosis of BPF was confirmed by bronchoscopy. Risk factors for BPF were assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 503 patients were included in this study, including 132 (26.2%) cases of broncho-vascular plasty, 340 (67.6%) cases of bronchial sleeve lobectomy, and 31 (6.2%) cases of bronchial wedge plasty. Among these patients, 16 (3.2%) developed postoperative BPF. Six patients with BPF died during hospital-stay, including two cases of severe hemoptysis, and four cases of pyothorax and respiratory failure caused by BPF. One of the other ten patients underwent reoperation. After univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, preoperative Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥2 [odds ratio (OR) =5.120, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.193-21.985, P=0.028], right middle and/or lower lobectomy (OR =4.840, 95% CI: 1.133-20.686, P=0.033), and residual tumor in the bronchial margin (OR =4.160, 95% CI: 1.106-15.644, P=0.035) were identified as independent risk factors for postoperative BPF. Conclusions: Although complication rate of BPF after bronchoplasty is low, the mortality of BPF is high. Patients with higher CCI, those who undergo right middle and/or lower lobectomy, and those with residual tumor in the bronchial margin are at increased risk of BPF. This study highlights the importance of preoperative evaluation and good intraoperative management to prevent this catastrophic complication.

Strategy for lung parenchyma-sparing bronchial resection: a case series report.

Lung parenchyma-sparing bronchial resection is uncommon, and the operative procedure depends on the cause and location of the stenosis. We present 6 cases and discuss the different surgical strategies for sleeve resection of the central airway without lung resection. Bronchoplasty for the main bronchus and truncus intermedius was performed with a posterolateral approach. We resected the right main bronchus including the right lateral wall of the lower trachea and half of the carina obliquely and performed an anastomosis. The tumour in the left lobar bronchus was exposed and removed by transient division of the accompanying pulmonary artery. Although post-transplant stenosis and malacia can pose a challenge, bronchoplasty can be used as a definitive treatment in experienced centres.

Combination of endobronchial bronchoscopic debulking and bronchoplastic segmentectomy of an obstructive neuroendocrine tumour: probably the least invasive approach.

We report the case of a female patient with an obstructing well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumour in the apical segment of the completely atelectatic right lower lobe. Bronchoscopic debulking of the tumour lead to re-ventilation of the remaining lobe, allowing to perform a lung-sparing bronchoplastic resection of the affected segment by uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery.

Surgical Techniques of Y-Sleeve Lobectomy in Patients With Primary Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The directions of distal and proximal airway stumps were different in Y-sleeve lobectomy. This difference might make Y-sleeve lobectomy a difficult procedure. In this article, we present our surgical techniques and analyse short-term outcomes of Y-sleeve lobectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Right middle and lower, left lower, and left lower and lingular segment sleeve lobectomies are categorized in Y-sleeve lobectomy. We retrospectively investigated the clinical courses of 17 patients who underwent Y-sleeve lobectomy from January 2017 to December 2020. RESULTS: No treatment-related deaths occurred. One patient developed a bronchopleural fistula. Four patients developed pneumonia and were cured by repeated bronchoscopies and antibiotic therapy. Three patients had retention of pleural effusion, and two had prolonged air leakage. One patient had empyema after prolonged air leakage and was cured by thoracic drainage and antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: A major complication was observed only in one patient. Y-sleeve lobectomy is a reliable surgical method to avoid pneumonectomy.

Surgical management of post-transplant bronchial stenoses: a single-center experience.

PURPOSE: Bronchial stenoses are challenging complications after lung transplantation and are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. We report a series of patients who underwent bronchoplasty or sleeve resection for bronchial stenoses that did not resolve with endoscopic treatment after lung transplantation. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2020, 497 patients underwent lung transplantation at our Institution. 35 patients (7.0%) experienced bronchial stenoses with a median time from transplantation of 3 months. Endoscopic management was effective in 28 cases (5.6%) while 1 patient required re-transplantation. Six patients (1.2%) underwent bronchoplasty or sleeve resection. RESULTS: The procedures of the six patients who underwent bronchoplasty or sleeve resection were as follows: lower sleeve bilobectomy (n = 3), wedge bronchoplasty of the bronchus intermedius (n = 1), isolated sleeve resection of the bronchus intermedius (n = 1), and isolated sleeve resection of the bronchus intermedius (n = 1), associated with a middle lobectomy. All patients were discharged after a median time of 11 days. At a median of 12 months from surgery, two patients remain alive with a preserved pulmonary function. Four patients died after a median time of 56 months from bronchoplasty of causes that were not related to surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Bronchial reconstructions are challenging procedures that can be performed in highly specialized centers. Despite this, they can be considered a good strategy to obtain a definitive resolution of stenosis after lung transplantation.

Extended Bronchoplasty Anastomosed between the Left Main and the Superior Segmental Bronchi for Locally Advanced Left Upper Lobe Lung Cancer with Invasion of the Basal Segment.

We report a case of extended bronchoplasty in which anastomosis between the left main and the superior segmental bronchi with resection of the left upper lobe and basal segment was required to avoid pneumonectomy for locally advanced lung cancer. The main tumor located at the left upper lobe invaded the basal segment, and involved both the basal pulmonary artery and left secondary carina. Regarding anastomosis, the bronchi were cut in a deep wedge shape and a wall flap was made by part of the lower lobar bronchus. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful and he has been alive without recurrence for more than 3 years after surgery.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic parenchymal sparing "rotational" bronchoplasty for managing bronchial carcinoid tumor.

We present a modified bronchoplasty technique involving rotation of the bronchial structures. Our goal was to reconstruct the bronchus without using any foreign material while fully preserving the parenchyma. We used a biportal VATS approach. The centrally located bronchial tumor at the juncture between the right main bronchus, the right upper lobe bronchus, and the bronchus intermedius was first resected. The right upper lobe bronchus was rotated caudally, toward the bronchus intermedius, together with a slight clockwise rotation posteriorly to facilitate the approximation and tension-free closure of the bronchial defect. This video tutorial demonstrates the operative steps and explains how the rotational aspect is achieved.

Combination of slide tracheoplasty and side-to-side bronchoplasty for complex congenital tracheobronchial stenosis.

Congenital tracheal stenosis is a rare but serious condition with high mortality and morbidity. We present a 6-month-old patient with complex congenital tracheal stenosis involving the trachea, carina and right bronchus intermedius, which was corrected with a combination of slide tracheoplasty and side-to-side bronchoplasty.