Is open window thoracostomy the only method to control infection in patients with an empyema following pulmonary resection for primary lung cancer?

A best evidence topic in cardiothoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed: Is open window thoracostomy (OWT) the only method to control infection in patients with an empyema following pulmonary resection for primary lung cancer? Altogether 442 papers were found using the reported search, of which 9 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. Empyema following anatomical lung resection (excluding pneumonectomy) is an uncommon complication but one that remains a challenge to treat effectively. Chest tube thoracostomy and intravenous antibiotics remain the initial steps to management, but evidence is lacking with regard to the best ongoing strategy. Conservative options including chest cavity irrigation, postural drainage and vacuum-assisted closure have been attempted with some success, even in the presence of a broncho-pleural fistula. However, the very limited number of patients on which these various management strategies have been trialled on prevents recommendations and clear guidance being given.

Venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing operations for lung cancer: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The risk of venous thromboembolism is perceived to be high in patients with lung cancer. However, existing studies in patients undergoing operations for lung cancer draw inconsistent conclusions and recommendations in terms of thromboprophylaxis. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of the risk of perioperative and postoperative venous thromboembolism for patients undergoing potential curative surgical procedures for primary lung cancer METHODS: This was a systematic review including studies of patients with primary lung cancer undergoing operations with curative intent. RESULTS: We included 19 studies with a total of 10,660 patients. All studies, except 1, were observational in design. Marked heterogeneity was found between the studies in terms of methodologic aspects, patient characteristics, and findings. The mean risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) was estimated at 2.0% (range, 0.2%-19%), with a mean observation period of 16 months (range, 0.1-22), and the risk was nearly identical in studies with 1 month of follow-up and studies with a longer follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for using thromboprophylaxis after lung cancer operations is relatively sparse, and the use is based predominantly on clinical consensus. However, the risk of VTE seems to occur predominantly within the initial postoperative period, and subsequently the risk falls. Future research should focus on identifying patients and surgical procedures that increase the risk of VTE. This could be accomplished by large observational studies in addition to randomized controlled trials evaluating different thromboprophylaxis strategies.

Does the revised cardiac risk index predict cardiac complications following elective lung resection?

BACKGROUND: Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) score and Thoracic Revised Cardiac Risk Index (ThRCRI) score were developed to predict the risks of postoperative major cardiac complications in generic surgical population and thoracic surgery respectively. This study aims to determine the accuracy of these scores in predicting the risk of developing cardiac complications including atrial arrhythmias after lung resection surgery in adults. METHODS: We studied 703 patients undergoing lung resection surgery in a tertiary thoracic surgery centre. Observed outcome measures of postoperative cardiac morbidity and mortality were compared against those predicted by risk. RESULTS: Postoperative major cardiac complications and supraventricular arrhythmias occurred in 4.8% of patients. Both index scores had poor discriminative ability for predicting postoperative cardiac complications with an area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.59 (95% CI 0.51-0.67) for the RCRI score and 0.57 (95% CI 0.49-0.66) for the ThRCRI score. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, RCRI and ThRCRI scores failed to accurately predict the risk of cardiac complications in patients undergoing elective resection of lung cancer. The British Thoracic Society (BTS) recommendation to seek a cardiology referral for all asymptomatic pre-operative lung resection patients with > 3 RCRI risk factors is thus unlikely to be of clinical benefit.

Does repair of pectus excavatum improve cardiopulmonary function?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'Does repair of pectus excavatum (PE) improve cardiopulmonary function?' One hundred and sixty-eight papers were found using the reported search, 19 level III evidence papers and three meta-analyses were relevant. Studies were divided into four groups based on the surgical technique applied and pulmonary and cardiac functions in these groups were analysed. The meta-analyses show conflicting results for improvements in pulmonary and cardiac functions when comparing surgical techniques, while four more recent studies show improved long-term results using the Nuss technique. The best evidence of papers studying the PE repair using the minimally invasive Nuss technique demonstrates a decrease in pulmonary function during the early postoperative period, however, there is a small but significant improvement during the late postoperative period and after bar removal. The best evidence for cardiac function in this group suggests an early improvement that is sustained during further follow-up. The best evidence of papers studying the PE repair using the Ravitch technique shows that pulmonary function decreased during the early postoperative period, however, there is a small but significant improvement during the late postoperative period. The best evidence for cardiac function in this group suggests an early improvement that is sustained during further follow-up. The best evidence of papers studying the PE repair using other techniques (modified Daniel's technique, modified Baronofsky's technique, sterno-costal turn-over technique and sterno-costal elevation technique) or where surgical techniques used were not described (preceding year 1985) suggests that there is no improvement in pulmonary function after surgery. There is some evidence that certain aspects of cardiac function improved after surgery in this group.

Prophylactic flap coverage and the incidence of bronchopleural fistulae after pneumonectomy.

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'In pneumonectomy patients, is buttressing the bronchial stump associated with a reduced incidence of bronchopleural fistula?'. Fifty-seven papers were found using the reported search, of which 12 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. One prospective randomized controlled trial was identified, which found significantly lower rates of bronchopleural fistula and empyema after pneumonectomy with the use of pedicled intercostal flap buttressing. Intercostal muscle flaps and pericardial flaps have been used in case series of high-risk patients, e.g. those with neoadjuvant therapy or extended resections, with low rates of subsequent bronchopleural fistulae. There is the least-reported evidence for thoracodorsal artery perforator and omental flaps. There is relatively little published evidence beyond the single randomized trial identified, with only a few comparison studies to guide clinicians. We conclude that there is evidence for flap buttressing in reducing the risk of bronchopleural fistulae after pneumonectomy in diabetic patients. Flap coverage in other high-risk situations, such as extrapleural or completion pneumonectomy, has been reported in case series with good results. Of the reported techniques, the evidence is strongest for the pedicled inter-costal flap.

Do endobronchial valves improve outcomes in patients with emphysema?

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether endobronchial valves improve outcomes in patients with severe emphysema. Eighty-seven papers were found using the reported search, of which seven represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. Endobronchial Valve for Emphysema Palliation Trial demonstrated that endobronchial valve increased forced expiratory volume in one second by 4.3% (95% confidence interval 1.4-7.2) and decreased by 2.5% in the control group (95% confidence interval -5.4 to 0.4) at a 6-month interval. This benefit is more marked in patients who do not have collateral ventilation into the area of lung being isolated as mapped by bronchoscopic physiological mapping (Chartis) or by computed tomography imaging documenting intact fissures. This evidence is reflected in the Endobronchial Valve for Emphysema Palliation Trial. Patients treated with endobronchial valve with high heterogeneity and complete fissures had greater improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second at 6- and 12-month intervals. We conclude that endobronchial valve placement improves lung function, exercise capacity and quality of life in selected patients with emphysematous diseases.