Return to work and activity after rib-fixation for acute chest trauma: first application of a validated patient-reported outcomes assessment tool.

OBJECTIVES: Rib fractures present a heavy pain and functional burden in trauma. Our primary aim was to determine return to work in patients with acute rib fractures requiring surgical stabilisation of rib fractures. Our secondary outcomes were pain and quality of life. We also document the first application of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Instrument, a validated injury-specific patient-reported outcome measure, for chest wall injury in the literature. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of patients with rib fractures requiring surgical fixation in a single centre between 2008-2020. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure relevance, all eligible patients were asked to complete patient reported outcome measure questionnaires. RESULTS: Of 1841 trauma patients with rib fractures, 66 underwent surgical fixation. Thirty-nine patients were eligible and thirty-one completed the questionnaires. Pre-injury and post-injury answers were compared. The number of patients in employment decreased post-operatively from 22 to 16 (p = 0.006). For those that returned to work there was no difference in hours missed but reduced weekly hours and productivity scores. There were significantly more patients with pain and on pain relief. There was a lower quality of life score post-operatively. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1-in-5 patients who require surgical fixation for rib fractures will not return to work. This is the first chest wall trauma study that uses the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Instrument, a validated tool for work productivity outcomes. We recommend this instrument as a reliable tool for investigating return to work outcomes in trauma patients.

Defining the road map to a UK national lung cancer screening programme.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT was recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) in September, 2022, on the basis of data from trials showing a reduction in lung cancer mortality. These trials provide sufficient evidence to show clinical efficacy, but further work is needed to prove deliverability in preparation for a national roll-out of the first major targeted screening programme. The UK has been world leading in addressing logistical issues with lung cancer screening through clinical trials, implementation pilots, and the National Health Service (NHS) England Targeted Lung Health Check Programme. In this Policy Review, we describe the consensus reached by a multiprofessional group of experts in lung cancer screening on the key requirements and priorities for effective implementation of a programme. We summarise the output from a round-table meeting of clinicians, behavioural scientists, stakeholder organisations, and representatives from NHS England, the UKNSC, and the four UK nations. This Policy Review will be an important tool in the ongoing expansion and evolution of an already successful programme, and provides a summary of UK expert opinion for consideration by those organising and delivering lung cancer screenings in other countries.

Endobronchial laser ablation in the management of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the trachea.

A 52 year old, never smoker presented to hospital with progressive shortness of breath and significant stridor over a five month period. He also described the feeling of needing to cough but being unable to expectorate. CT Thorax demonstrated a mass lesion in the trachea just distal to the larynx which was then confirmed on rigid bronchoscopy. Subsequent histology confirmed an epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. Only a few case reports document these rare salivary gland tumours occurring in other locations such as the respiratory tract. After staging showed only local disease, the patient was managed with rigid bronchoscopy and laser ablation therapy. We present the first documented case to be treated with endobronchial laser ablation therapy with discussion of the incidence, presentation and characteristics of these tumours including the treatment options, as well as the use of laser ablation in the management of benign and malignant endobronchial lesions.

Is early surgical management of chylothorax following oesophagectomy beneficial?

A best evidence topic in surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the initial surgical management of chylothorax after oesophagectomy results in a better outcome. Altogether 357 papers were found as a result of the reported search, of which 4 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 were tabulated. Three studies were retrospective and from single centres with small patient numbers, while one study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial, from which a subgroup analysis was included in our results. We conclude that although all studies to date have had very small patient numbers and some contradictory results, there is some evidence that early surgical intervention of chylothorax following oesophagectomy reduces hospital stay when compared with conservative treatment.

The mediastinal staging accuracy of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglycose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in non-small cell lung cancer with variable time intervals to surgery.

BACKGROUND: PET/CT scanning can determine suitability for curative therapy and inform decision making when considering radical therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Metastases to central mediastinal lymph nodes (N2) may alter such management decisions. We report a 2 year retrospective series assessing N2 lymph node staging accuracy with PET/CT compared to pathological analysis at surgery. METHODS: Patients with NSCLC attending our centre (excluding those who had induction chemotherapy) who had staging PET/CT scans and pathological nodal sampling between June 2006 and June 2008 were analysed. For each lymph node assessed pathologically, the corresponding PET/CT status was determined. 64 patients with 200 N2 lymph nodes were analysed. RESULTS: Sensitivity of PET/CT scans for indentifying involved N2 lymph nodes was 39%, specificity 96% and overall accuracy 90%. For individual lymph node analysis, logistic regression demonstrated a significant linear association between PET/CT sensitivity and time from scanning to surgery (p=0.031) but not for specificity and accuracy. Those scanned <9 weeks before pathological sampling were significantly more sensitive (64% >9 weeks, 0% ≥ 9 weeks, p=0.013) and more accurate (94% <9 weeks, 81% ≥ 9 weeks, p=0.007). Differences in specificity were not seen (97% <9 weeks, 91% ≥ 9 weeks, p=0.228). No significant difference in specificity was found at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that if a PET/CT scan is older than 9 weeks, and management would be altered by the presence of N2 nodes, re-staging of the mediastinum should be undertaken.

Does ligation of the thoracic duct during oesophagectomy reduce the incidence of post-operative chylothorax?

A best evidence topic in surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether prophylactic thoracic duct ligation during oesophagectomy results in a lower incidence of post-operative chylothorax. 29 relevant papers were found using the reported search, of which 5 papers represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date and country of publication, patient group, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. Of these studies, only one was a prospective randomised controlled study with sizeable patient numbers. This was also the most recent study and demonstrated a significant decrease in post-operative chylothorax incidence following intra-operative thoracic duct ligation. Of the four remaining retrospective studies, one showed an increase in chylothorax rate following ligation whilst three showed a reduction in the incidence of chylothorax (although in only one of these three studies was this decrease statistically significantly). We conclude that for patients undergoing oesophagectomy, although there are conflicting results from retrospective studies, prospective randomised controlled trial evidence points to prophylactic ligation of the thoracic duct as an effective measure to reduce the incidence of post-operative chylothorax.

Implications for powering biomarker discovery studies.

This study examined variations in gene expression between FFPE blocks within tumors of individual patients. Microarray data were used to measure tumor heterogeneity within and between patients and disease states. Data were used to determine the number of samples needed to power biomarker discovery studies. Bias and variation in gene expression were assessed at the intrapatient and interpatient levels and between adenocarcinoma and squamous samples. A mixed-model analysis of variance was fitted to gene expression data and model signatures to assess the statistical significance of observed variations within and between samples and disease states. Sample size analysis, adjusted for sample heterogeneity, was used to determine the number of samples required to support biomarker discovery studies. Variation in gene expression was observed between blocks taken from a single patient. However, this variation was considerably less than differences between histological characteristics. This degree of block-to-block variation still permits biomarker discovery using either macrodissected tumors or whole FFPE sections, provided that intratumor heterogeneity is taken into account. Failure to consider intratumor heterogeneity may result in underpowered biomarker studies that may result in either the generation of longer gene signatures or the inability to identify a viable biomarker. Moreover, the results of this study indicate that a single biopsy sample is suitable for applying a biomarker in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Raman microscopy in the diagnosis and prognosis of surgically resected nonsmall cell lung cancer.

The main curative therapy for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer is surgery. Despite this, the survival rate is only 50%, therefore it is important to more efficiently diagnose and predict prognosis for lung cancer patients. Raman spectroscopy is useful in the diagnosis of malignant and premalignant lesions. The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of Raman microscopy to diagnose lung cancer from surgically resected tissue sections, and predict the prognosis of these patients. Tumor tissue sections from curative resections are mapped by Raman microscopy and the spectra analzsed using multivariate techniques. Spectra from the tumor samples are also compared with their outcome data to define their prognostic significance. Using principal component analysis and random forest classification, Raman microscopy differentiates malignant from normal lung tissue. Principal component analysis of 34 tumor spectra predicts early postoperative cancer recurrence with a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 74%. Spectral analysis reveals elevated porphyrin levels in the normal samples and more DNA in the tumor samples. Raman microscopy can be a useful technique for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer patients receiving surgery, and for elucidating the biochemical properties of lung tumors.

Successful Endobronchial stenting for bronchial compression from a massive thoracic aortic aneurysm.

A case of bronchial occlusion caused by a thoracic aortic aneurysm and the relief of this obstruction by the implantation of expandable metallic stents is described. Stent deployment provided an immediate improvement in lung ventilation and chest radiograph appearances. Stent insertion was uncomplicated, but weaning from mechanical ventilation was unsuccessful and the patient died from a ventilator-associated pneumonia, unrelated to the procedure. Endobronchial stenting should be considered as a non-invasive therapy for the treatment of bronchial obstruction, with respiratory compromise, caused by a thoracic aortic aneurysm when vascular surgery is not an option. The medium to long term survival of this patient group is poor. This can be attributed to complications related to the stent and also to the poor performance status of these patients.

A surgeon's case volume of oesophagectomy for cancer does not influence patient outcome in a high volume hospital.

The aim of this study is to assess if individual case volume of oesophageal resections influences the operative mortality rate in a high volume hospital. Between June 1994 and June 2006, 252 total thoracic oesophageal resections (75% male, mean age 63 years) were performed by five surgeons in tertiary referral centre. Operative approach was standardised in all cases and consisted of left thoracolaparotomy, resection of all intrathoracic and abdominal oesophagus and left cervical incision for anastomosis. Operative mortality, defined as in-hospital death irrespective of length of stay, was compared among consultants and also trainees. A total of 207 operations were performed by five consultants with nine deaths (4.3%) compared to two deaths after 45 operations by 17 trainees (4.4%) [Fisher's exact test, P=0.61 (CI=0.84-1.26)]. Individual case volume for consultants ranged from 5 to 10.5 cases/years [chi2-test, P=0.34 (CI=0.89-1.29)] with 0-5.4% mortality rate [chi2-test, P=0.24 (CI=0.96-1.19)]. Overall hospital volume ranged from 17 to 57 cases/years. This study confirms that surgeons with appropriate training in oesophageal resection may get good results despite lower individual case volumes when a standardised approach is taken in an institution with a high case volume.

Bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy: results and long-term follow-up.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy in alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with hyperhidrosis or facial blushing and to investigate the occurrence, severity and possible underlying factors to compensatory sweating after surgery. One hundred and sixty-three patients in a single institution underwent bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy with a mean follow-up period of 51 (5-140) months. Indications were for palmar hyperhidrosis (41%), axillary hyperhidrosis (17%), combined palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis (27%) and facial blushing+/-facial hyperhidrosis (15%). Success rates were palmar 98.5%, axillary 96.4%, palmar and axillary 97.7% and facial blushing+/-facial hyperhidrosis 84%. Compensatory sweating occurred in 77% of patients and its severity was related to the severity of the primary complaint. Recurrence rates were palmar 4.6%, axillary 7.4%, palmar and axillary 9.3% and facial blushing+/-facial hyperhidrosis 4.7% at a mean of 22 (3-72) months. An improvement in quality of life was seen in 85% and a diminution of quality of life was noted in 5% due to compensatory sweating. This large mature series demonstrates that bilateral thoracoscopic division of the sympathetic chain as opposed to resection can be performed effectively in patients with success rates higher than 90% and low recurrence rates.

Corrosive injury to upper gastrointestinal tract: Still a major surgical dilemma.

In the developed and developing countries, corrosive injury to the gastrointestinal system as a consequence of either accidental ingestion or as a result of self-harm has become a less common phenomenon compared to decades ago. This could partly be attributed to the tighter legislation imposed by the government in these countries on detergents and other corrosive products and general public awareness. Most busy upper gastrointestinal surgical units in these countries, especially in the developed countries will only encounter a small number of cases per year. Up to date knowledge on the best management approach is lacking. In this article, we present our experience of two contrasting cases of corrosive injury to the upper gastrointestinal tract in our thoracic unit in the last 2 years and an up-to-date Medline literature search has been carried out to highlight the areas of controversies in the management of corrosive injuries of the upper gastrointestinal tract. We concluded that the main principle in managing such patients requires a good understanding of the pathophysiology of corrosive injury in order to plan both acute and future management. Each patient must be evaluated individually as the clinical picture varies widely. Signs and symptoms alone are an unreliable guide to injury.

Sputum retention after lung operation: prospective, randomized trial shows superiority of prophylactic minitracheostomy in high-risk patients.

BACKGROUND: Sputum retention after lung operation is a potentially life-threatening condition. The minitracheostomy (Minitrach II, SIMS Portex, Hythe, Kent, UK) is a 4-mm percutaneous cricothyroidotomy device, which allows immediate and repeated aspiration of the tracheobronchial tree by minimally trained staff, and can effectively treat sputum retention. This trial was designed to test the hypothesis that prophylactic minitracheostomy could prevent sputum retention in a high-risk group. METHODS: Between March 1997 and October 1999, 102 patients undergoing lung procedures and considered to be at high risk were prospectively randomized to postoperative, prophylactic minitracheostomy insertion in the recovery room with regular aspiration, or to standard postoperative respiratory therapy. RESULTS: Sputum retention developed in 15 patients (30%) in the standard group (n = 52) compared to 1 patient (2%) in the minitracheostomy group (n = 50) (p < 0.005). There were three deaths related to sputum retention in the standard group compared to none in minitracheostomy group during the perioperative period. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to identify a group of patients at high risk for sputum retention who will benefit from prophylactic therapy. Minitracheostomy is effective as prophylaxis and treatment.

Lung surgery: identifying the subgroup at risk for sputum retention.

OBJECTIVES: Sputum retention after lung surgery is a potentially lethal condition, which can progress to atelectasis, pneumonia and respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support. Previous studies have concentrated on the treatment of postoperative respiratory complications but few have studied the risk factors for sputum retention. This prospective study was designed to identify the risk factors which may lead to the development of sputum retention after lung surgery. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-one patients underwent lung surgery between January 1997 and December 1999 in a specialist Thoracic Surgery Unit (pneumonectomy, lobectomy, wedge or segmental resection, bullectomy, etc). Preoperative and intraoperative data collected prospectively included potential risk factors: chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)<50%, current smokers, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease (CVA), resection of phrenic or recurrent laryngeal nerve, or absence of regional analgesia. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: Sputum related complications occurred in 108 patients (30%). There were 17 deaths of which nine were due to complications related to sputum retention. Univariate analysis confirmed current smokers (n=128), COAD (n=103), IHD (n=41), prior history of CVA (n=16), FEV1<50% (n=48), and absence of regional anaesthesia as significant risk factors (P<0.01). The multivariate analysis confirmed current smokers, IHD and absence of regional anaesthesia as risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: A subgroup of lung surgery patients at high risk for postoperative sputum retention can be predicted by the presence of one of the following criteria: current smokers, history of COAD, CVA, or IHD, and absence of regional analgesia. Prophylactic measures should be considered in this group to reduce the incidence of sputum retention.