To develop, implement and evaluate an integrated care pathway for patients presenting with pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pneumothorax is a common presentation to acute healthcare services in Ireland, however there is wide variation in management approaches between centres. There is robust evidence to demonstrate that ambulatory management of pneumothorax is feasible and safe. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the implementation of an integrated care pathway (ICP) for pneumothorax patients with a focus on ambulatory care would be economically beneficial for the healthcare system. METHODS: This study developed, implemented and evaluated an ICP for all patients presenting with pneumothorax, with a specific focus on ambulatory management for suitable patients. The ICP was designed to be utilised in the Irish healthcare setting, and was evaluated using a prospective multi-centre observational study, with a rigorous economic analysis at the centre of study design. MAIN FINDINGS: Implementation of the ICP resulted in a statistically significant reduction in inpatient length of stay of 2.84 days from 7.4 to 4.56 days (p = 0.001). The incremental per patient cost reduction of treating a patient according to the pneumothorax ICP was 2314 euro. There were no adverse events related to drain insertion at the study sites. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates therefore that standardisation of care for pneumothorax patients with a focus on ambulatory management are economically beneficial for the publicly-funded healthcare service. It is envisaged that this work will be used to inform healthcare policy at a national level across Ireland.

Using Lean Six Sigma to improve rates of day of surgery admission in a national thoracic surgery department.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to improve rates of day of surgery admission (DOSA) for all suitable elective thoracic surgery patients. DESIGN: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methods were used to enable improvements to both the operational process and the organizational working of the department over a period of 19 months. SETTING: A national thoracic surgery department in a large teaching hospital in Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: Thoracic surgery staff, patients and quality improvement staff at the hospital. INTERVENTION(S): LSS methods were employed to identify and remove the non-value-add in the patient's journey and achieve higher levels of DOSA. A pre-surgery checklist and Thoracic Planning Meeting were introduced to support a multidisciplinary approach to enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), reduce rework, improve list efficiency and optimize bed management. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): To achieve DOSA for all suitable elective thoracic surgery patients in line with the National Key Performance Indicator of 75%. A secondary outcome would be to further decrease overall length of stay by 1 day. RESULTS: Over a 19 month period, DOSA has increased from 10 to 75%. Duplication of preoperative tests reduced from 83 to <2%. Staff and patient surveys show increased satisfaction and improved understanding of ERAS. CONCLUSIONS: Using LSS methods to improve both operational process efficiency and organizational clinical processes led to the successful achievement of increasing rates of DOSA in line with national targets.

Ultrasound-guided continuous deep serratus anterior plane block versus continuous thoracic paravertebral block for perioperative analgesia in videoscopic-assisted thoracic surgery.

BACKGROUND: The deep serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a promising novel regional anaesthesia technique for blockade of the anterolateral chest wall. Evidence for the efficacy of SAPB versus other analgesic techniques in thoracic surgery remains inadequate. AIMS: This study compared ultrasound-guided continuous SAPB with a surgically placed continuous thoracic paravertebral block (SPVB) technique in patients undergoing videoscopic-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). METHODS: In a single-centre, double-blinded, randomized, non-inferiority study, we allocated 40 patients undergoing VATS to either SAPB or SPVB, with both groups receiving otherwise standardized treatment, including multimodal analgesia. The primary outcome was 48-hr opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes included numerical rating scale (NRS) for postoperative pain, patient-reported worst pain score (WPS) as well as functional measures (including mobilization distance and cough strength). RESULTS: A 48-hr opioid consumption for the SAPB group was non-inferior compared with SPVB. SAPB was associated with improved NRS pain scores at rest, with cough and with movement at 24 hr postoperatively (p = .007, p = .001 and p = .012, respectively). SAPB was also associated with a lower WPS (p = .008). Day 1 walking distance was improved in the SAPB group (p = .012), whereas the difference in cough strength did not reach statistical significance (p = .071). There was no difference in haemodynamics, opioid side effects, length of hospital stay or patient satisfaction between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The SAPB, as part of a multimodal analgesia regimen, is non-inferior in terms of 48-hr opioid consumption compared to SPVB and is associated with improved functional measures in thoracic surgical patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03768193. SIGNIFICANCE: The SAPB interfascial plane block is an efficacious alternative method of opioid-sparing analgesia in high-risk thoracic surgical patients as part of an enhanced recovery programme.

Left atrial appendage clipping as an adjunctive therapy in lung cancer surgery for patients with atrial fibrillation: a case report.

The left atrial appendage (LAA) is thought to be responsible for the vast majority of embolic strokes, and has become an important target in the surgical management of atrial fibrillation (AF). Epicardial clipping of the LAA has emerged as a potentially safe, durable and effective method of surgical closure, and has been performed both as a stand-alone procedure (thoracoscopic LAA clipping) and as an adjunct in patients undergoing open cardiac surgery. To our knowledge, the use of epicardial clipping in the setting of non-cardiac thoracic surgery for patients with concurrent diagnosis of AF has not been previously reported. This report highlights the case of a 70-year-old gentleman with a diagnosis of AF, who underwent concomitant LAA clipping at the time of elective thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy for a pT2aN0 lung adenocarcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the feasibility of LAA clipping as an adjunctive procedure in lung cancer surgery.

Limax Nd:YAG laser-assisted thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary metastases; a single centre's initial experience.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary metastasectomy and indeed redo-pulmonary metastasectomy are now commonly performed thoracic surgical procedures. The air-sealant, haemostatic, and necrotic properties of the KLS Martin Limax Nd:YAG laser at 1.318 µm make it an ideal tool for limited lung resection such as metastasectomy. We present our initial experience of thoracoscopic laser metastasectomy. METHODS: We reviewed data from the first seven patients in our unit to undergo thoracoscopic laser metastasectomy, in particular, patient age, gender, primary malignancy, primary treatment, complications, length of stay (LOS), and final histopathology. All procedures were performed using a two- or three-port thoracoscopic technique with some lesions requiring CT-guided wire localisation. A single drain was inserted via the camera port site and was removed upon confirmation that there was no air leak. RESULTS: Seven patients underwent thoracoscopic laser wedge metastasectomy of eight lesions in our centre between February 2017 and October 2017. The median age was 61 years. The primary disease was colorectal carcinoma in five cases, eccrine carcinoma in one case, and high-grade uterine leiomyosarcoma in one case. Only one patient had a prolonged air leak in the other six cases; the drain was removed on post-operative day 1. The median post-operative LOS was 1 day. All patients had confirmed metastatic disease with clear resection margins on histopathology. CONCLUSION: In our early experience, thoracoscopic laser wedge metastasectomy is a safe and efficient method for performance of pulmonary metastasectomy. We experienced a low complication rate and a short post-operative stay.

Outcomes of left atrial appendage occlusion using the AtriClip device: a systematic review.

Atrial fibrillation increases lifetime stroke risk. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is thought to be the source of embolic strokes in up to 90% of cases, and occlusion of the LAA may be safer than the alternative of oral anticoagulation. Occlusion devices, such as the AtriClipTM (AtriCure, Mason, OH, USA) enable safe and reproducible epicardial clipping of the LAA. A systematic review was performed in May 2018, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, using the keyword 'AtriClip'. A total of 68 papers were identified and reviewed; 11 studies were included. Data including demographics, medical history intervention(s) performed, periprocedural outcomes and follow-up were assessed and analysed. A total of 922 patients were identified. LAA occlusion was achieved in 902 out of 922 patients (97.8%). No device-related adverse events were reported across the studies. The reported incidence of stroke or transient ischaemic attack post-clip placement ranged from 0.2 to 1.5/100 patient-years. Four hundred and seventy-seven of 798 patients (59.7%) had ceased anticoagulation on follow-up. The AtriClip device is safe and effective in the management of patients with atrial fibrillation, either as an adjunct in patients undergoing cardiac surgery or as a stand-alone thoracoscopic procedure.

A systematic review of robotic versus open and video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approaches for thymectomy.

BACKGROUND: Median sternotomy has been the most commonly used approach for thymectomy to date. Recent advances in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic access with CO2 insufflation techniques have allowed more minimally invasive approaches. However, prior reviews have not compared robotic to both open and VATS thymectomy. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases. Original research articles comparing robotic to VATS or to open thymectomy for myasthenia gravis, anterior mediastinal masses, or thymomas were included. Meta-analyses were performed for mortality, operative time, blood loss, transfusions, length of stay, conversion to open, intraoperative and postoperative complication rates, and positive/negative margin rates. RESULTS: Robotic thymectomy is a valid alternative to the open approach; advantages include: reduced blood loss [weighted mean difference (WMD): -173.03, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -305.90, -40.17, P=0.01], fewer postoperative complications (odds ratio: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.60, P<0.00001), a shorter hospital stay (WMD: -2.78, 95% CI: -3.22, -2.33, P<0.00001), and a lower positive margin rate (relative difference: -0.04, 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01, P=0.01), with comparable operative times (WMD: 6.73, 95% CI: -21.20, 34.66, P=0.64). Robotic thymectomy was comparable with the VATS approach; both have the advantage of avoiding median sternotomy. CONCLUSIONS: While randomized controlled studies are required to make definitive conclusions, current data suggests that robotic thymectomy is superior to open surgery and comparable to a VATS approach. Long-term follow-up is required to further delineate oncological outcomes.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of robotic versus open and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery approaches for lobectomy.

OBJECTIVES: A number of meta-analytical and database studies have sought to compare open, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic operative approaches to lobectomy, often with conflicting results. Our objective was to perform a comprehensive review of these meta-analytical and database studies published to date. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using the PubMed and Scopus databases. Primary outcome was short-term mortality, and secondary outcomes were operative time, blood loss or transfusion rate, hospital stay, conversions, lymph node yield and complications. Meta-analyses of the primary and secondary outcomes were performed. RESULTS: Robotic lobectomy is a valid alternative to the VATS approach and is superior to the open approach with respect to complications [OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.58-0.76, P < 0.00001] and duration of hospital stay (WMD -1.4, 95% CI -1.96-0.85, P < 0.00001). It is inferior to both VATS and open with respect to operative duration (robotic vs. VATS; WMD 4.98, 95% CI 2.61-7.36, P < 0.001, robotic vs. open WMD 65.56, 95% CI 53.66-77.46, P < 0.00001). Robotic approach is superior with respect to 30-day mortality compared to VATS (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.45-0.83, P = 0.001 and open approaches (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.85, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest published systematic review and meta-analysis to date qualifying the robotic lobectomy as a reasonable alternative to VATS and open surgery. Short-term survival is superior in the robotic cohorts. No definitive conclusions on long-term outcomes can be drawn until a randomized controlled trial comparing approaches is conducted.

Near-fatal mucormycosis post-double lung transplant presenting as uncontrolled upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Invasive fungal infections in immunosuppressed transplant patients are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We present a case of splenic mucormycosis post-double lung transplant, presenting as uncontrolled near-fatal upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, to remind clinicians of the need to consider pre-transplant invasive fungal infection risk factors if an unexpected fungal infection arises in the post-transplant period. This case also highlights the valuable contribution of molecular technology for fungal identification but also the need for clinical correlation.

Cell blocks of breast FNAs frequently allow diagnosis of invasion or histological classification of proliferative changes.

Two major limitations of breast fine needle aspiration (FNA) compared with core needle biopsies (CNB) are the inability to determine whether a cancer is invasive and to classify proliferative lesions. We studied 40 consecutive "rapid cell blocks" from breast FNAs with surgical pathology follow-up to test whether cell blocks can overcome these limitations. Of 25 carcinomas, invasion could be identified in the cell block sections in 11 (44%). One cystosarcoma phyllodes was suspected based on the cell block sections. Cell blocks from 12 of 14 benign breast FNAs showed sufficient cells to assign a histologic diagnosis of no hyperplasia (1 case, confirmed on follow-up) and usual hyperplasia (11 cases; confirmed in eight of 11 on follow-up). Specific histologic diagnoses included intraductal papilloma (2 cases), and in situ lobular neoplasia (2 cases). Cell blocks complement smears and monolayers and appear to overcome major limitations of breast FNA.

Endoluminal cryotherapy in the management of endobronchial metastatic tumors of extrapulmonary origin.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial metastases from extrapulmonary tumors are rare and often cause significant symptoms particularly when they present within the main bronchial tree. Cryotherapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of primary malignancies of the endobronchial tree. This is the first detailed analysis of the application of cryotherapy to endobronchial metastatic tumors of extrapulmonary origin. This study assessed the role of endobronchial cryotherapy in the management of these patients, including control of symptoms and improvement in endobronchial patency. METHODS: The details of 35 patients treated over a 17-year period were reviewed. Patients' ages ranged from 22 to 80 years. The primary tumors were mainly colorectal and renal. RESULTS: There were no perioperative or in-patient deaths. Endobronchial cryotherapy was carried out as a day-case procedure in over 80% of cases. Of the 35 patients, 30 (85%) reported a significant improvement in their main presenting symptom. In over half the patients, endoluminal patency was increased by ≥50% following 1 treatment of cryotherapy. Survival ranged from 10 days to 4 years 8 months, with a median survival of 34 weeks. One-year survival was 37.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Endoluminal cryotherapy gives rapid resolution of symptoms and can be carried out as a day-case procedure in the vast majority of patients. We recommend that cryotherapy should be considered as a first-line palliation in patients with symptomatic metastases to the endobronchial tree.

Anatomic repair for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: a single-institution 19-year experience.

OBJECTIVE(S): Anatomic repair for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) has been shown to improve patient survival. We sought to examine long-term outcomes in patients after anatomic repair with focus on results in high-risk patients, the fate of the neo-aortic valve, and occurrence of morphologically left ventricular dysfunction. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, single-institution study of patients undergoing anatomic repair for ccTGA. A total of 113 patients from 1991 to March 2011 were included. Double-switch (DS) repair was performed in 68 patients, with Rastelli-Senning (RS)-type repair in 45. Pulmonary artery banding for retraining was performed in 23 cases. Patients were followed up for survival status, morbidity, and reinterventions. A subgroup of 17 high-risk patients in severe heart failure, ventilated, and on inotropes before repair, were included. RESULTS: Median age at repair was 3.2 years (range, 25 days to 40 years) and weight was 14.3 kg (3.2-61.4). There were 5 (of 68; 7.4%) early deaths in the DS group and 0 (of 45) in the RS group. Actuarial survivals in the DS group were 87.6%, 83.9%, 83.9% at 1, 5, and 10 years versus 91.6%, 91.6%, 77.3% in the RS group (log-rank: P = .98). Freedom from death, transplantation, or heart failure was significantly better in the RS group at 10 years (P = .03). There was no difference in reintervention at 10 years (DS, 50.3%; RS, 49.1%; P = .44). In the DS group, the Lecompte maneuver was associated with late reinterventions on the pulmonary arteries. Overall survival in the high-risk group was 70.6%. During follow-up, 14.2% patients had poor function of the morphologically left ventricle, all in the DS group, but this was not related to preoperative status or previous banding. The majority of patients after DS had mild aortic incompetence, which appeared well tolerated. Annuloplasty of the aortic root at time of DS reduced the risk of late aortic valve replacement. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant morbidity after anatomic repair of ccTGA, which is higher in the DS than the RS group. Nevertheless, the majority of patients are free of heart failure at 10 years, including high-risk patients in severe heart failure before repair. Aortic annuloplasty may reduce risk of late aortic insufficiency.