[Resection of malignant fibrous histiocytoma through a combined thoracic and abdominal wall approach].

We report a case of resection of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) via combined thoracic and abdominal wall incision reconstructed using GORE DUALMESH. A 60-year-old woman underwent resection of a left lower chest wall tumor. Since the tumor infiltrated into the diaphragm, a part of the left diaphragm and left upper abdominal wall were resected together. The left chest was closed by suturing the diaphragm to the ribs. The resected area of the thoracic and abdominal wall was 12×12 cm and was reconstructed with GORE DUALMESH. She received adjuvant radiotherapy as the tumor cells were detected in the surgical margin of the diaphragm. The patient has remained well without signs of recurrence for 10 months after the operation.

[The use of 19 Fr silicone drains in chest surgery].

We evaluated a single 19 Fr Blake drain after chest surgery retrospectively. 50 patients underwent drainage of their pleural cavity using Blake drains. Blake drain was found to be effective in drainage of both air and fluid. In addition, this soft silicone drain seemed to improve the comfort of the patients. One single Blake drain is considered to be an option for chest drainage in most of general thoracic surgery.

Supraclavicular approach without thoracotomy for posterior mediastinal tumor.

Using a right-sided supraclavicular approach, we operated on a 15-year-old girl with a posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumor and von Recklinghausen's disease. The encapsulated 95 x 65 x 40 mm neurofibroma was removed safely and completely without thoracotomy. No peripheral neurologic defect such as Horner's syndrome, paralysis of accessory nerve, or palsy of the right upper extremity was observed after operation. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the third postoperative day with no symptoms. Today, various adaptations of video-assisted thoracic surgery are frequently utilized for many lesions. However, more direct, safer, and less invasive approaches should be selected based on local anatomy, such as the supraclavicular approach without thoracotomy that we utilized.

Bilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the supine position for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

On the basis of the bilateral nature of bullous lesions of the lung, the authors have performed single-stage bilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the supine position for primary spontaneous pneumothorax in five patients since October 1999. All five patients were males with a mean age of 23 years (range 19 to 29 years). The presenting pneumothorax was ipsilateral (right-sided) in four patients and simultaneous bilateral in the one remaining patient. Apart from the one case of simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (SBSP), all patients had a history of at least one pneumothorax episode requiring tube thoracotomy. Bilateral bullae were confirmed in all patients on preoperative chest computed tomography (CT). Bilateral bullectomy was performed by endo-stapler with no difficulties. Mean operating time was 111 minutes (range 85 to 140 minutes). All patients were returned to the surgical ward in good condition from the operating room immediately after extubation. No complications were observed, and duration of postoperative hospital stay was two to four days. All patients were alive without recurrence of pneumothorax after a mean follow-up period of 25 months (range, 9 to 43 months). Single-stage bilateral VATS in the supine position has shown itself to be an excellent approach for the treatment of bilateral bullous lesions, combining both efficacy and low morbidity.

The figure-L unilateral mini-sternotomy for anterior mediastinal tumor.

We performed a figure-L unilateral mini-sternotomy for anterior mediastinal tumor resection in ten patients. Pathological diagnosis among the ten included six thymomas, three mature teratomas including one with a seminoma component, and one thymic cyst. Mean tumor length was 7 x 5 x 4 cm. The required skin incision was 8 cm in mean length. The third intercostal space was transected in six cases, the fourth intercostal space in four cases. Bilateral internal thoracic arteries were preserved in all cases. All tumors were completely resected without complications during the procedure. Mean operating time was 106 minutes (range 85 to 120 minutes). Postoperative hospital stay ranged from three to seven days without any complications. All patients were alive at the end of a mean follow-up period of 39 months (range 3 to 60 months). The figure-L unilateral mini-sternotomy is considered an effective and useful minimally invasive approach for anterior mediastinal tumors.

Placement of the Dumon stent using a flexible bronchofiberscope via tracheostomy.

In this paper, we report on a new technique of Dumon stent placement using a flexible bronchofiberscope. This procedure was used to insert Dumon stents in two bronchial obstruction and two bronchofistula cases. The stenting technique described here can be used through either a tracheostoma or the oral cavity; it presents a very straightforward and safe procedure that does not require the use of a rigid bronchoscope.

A single-stage video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery procedure for simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax in a supine position.

We report on the case of a 23-year-old man with simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (SBSP), treated with bilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in a supine position. SBSP is a very rare condition that can be life-threatening when therapeutic techniques fail. We performed a unique operative procedure for SBSP using one-stage bilateral VATS in a supine position. This procedure is less invasive, more effective, and safer for the treatment of SBSP.

Primary chylopericardium treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Here, we report on a 30-year-old female with primary chylopericardium who successfully underwent thoracic duct clipping and partial pericardiectomy using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Recently, a few cases of this disease have been treated utilizing VATS. This is a fully detailed description of the treatment of primary chylopericardium including a description of intraoperative findings and photographs obtained during the course of VATS.

A new combined surgical procedure for severe descending necrotizing mediastinitis with bilateral empyema.

In this report, we will describe the treatment of a 38-year-old man with severe descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) with bilateral empyema. DNM is a rare disease with a high mortality rate, and when accompanied by bilateral empyema, this is particularly serious and potentially fatal. To improve the prognosis of such patients, the establishment of an adequate surgical procedure for satisfactory debridement and drainage is essential. This is the first report on a new combined surgical procedure consisting of right standard posterolateral thoracotomy and left video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for severe DNM with bilateral empyema.

[Combined surgery for cardiovascular disease and general thoracic lesions].

Surgical management of patients with concomitant critical cardiovascular disease and resectable general thoracic lesions is controversial. During a 16-year period (1985 to 2001), 15 patients underwent combined cardiovascular and general thoracic operations, of the 2,459 patients who underwent a cardiovascular operation requiring cardiopulmonary bypass at our institution. Patients had cardiovascular symptoms only and the general thoracic lesions were incidentally found by preoperative chest roentgenograms and/or computed tomography. Because of the cardiovascular disease, a pathological diagnosis was precluded before surgery. All except one descending thoracic aortic operation underwent concurrent pulmonary resection after neutralization of protamine following cardiovascular surgery requiring extracorporeal circulation. Lung pathology consisted of pulmonary bullae (n = 7), primary lung cancer (n = 4), benign lung tumor (n = 2), metastatic lung cancer (n = 1), and thymic cyst (n = 1). The pulmonary operations include bullectomy (n = 7), wedge resection (n = 6), lobectomy (n = 3), and removal of a thymic cyst (n = 1) including 2 staged procedures. The final diagnoses in 4 lung cancer cases were T1. N0M0, stage IA (n = 3) and T2N2M0, stage IIIA (n = 1). All malignancies including metastatic lung cancer, were able to be completely resected. The mean intraoperative bleeding volume for the cases was 997 +/- 221 ml, while mean duration of surgery was 382 +/- 31 minutes. Except for 2 cases required long term ventilatory support, the mean durations of tracheal intubation and ICU stay were 2.2 +/- 0.2 and 3.8 +/- 1.0 days respectively. Except for 1 surgical death, mean survival duration and 5-year survival rate were 59.7 +/- 12.5 (5-177) months and 66.3% respectively. These findings suggest that combined pulmonary resection with cardiovascular surgery is safe and offers a favorable prognosis to a selected group of patients.

Clinical experience with temporary vena cava filters.

An experience with temporary filter placement, which seems to be safe and effective for temporarily preventing pulmonary embolism, is reported. Since October 1997, six patients had temporary filters. There were two men and four women, with a mean age of 37 years. Three filters were placed at the infrarenal inferior vena cava, two at the suprarenal inferior vena cava, and one at the superior vena cava. All filters were placed before various surgical interventions. During filter placement, anticoagulation therapy was routinely performed. There were no complications at and during filter placement. No pulmonary emboli occurred during surgical intervention. All filters were successfully removed, two of which were exchanged for permanent filters. All patients are alive and well without recurrent deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary emboli during a follow-up period of 11 to 25 months. Although this experience is small, temporary filter placement is safe and effective for short-term prevention of pulmonary emboli even in older patients or those with malignant disease. Veins of the upper part of the body may be more favorable than the femoral vein for insertion of a temporary filter. Temporary filters can be safely placed not only at the infrarenal inferior vena cava, but also at the suprarenal inferior vena cava or superior vena cava.

[A case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage developing after open heart surgery].

A 47-year-old man was receiving anticoagulant therapy after coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve plasty. A chest roentgenogram disclosed alveolar infiltrates throughout both lung fields 6 months postoperatively. Lung biopsy specimens showed the presence of hemosiderin-laden macrophages in the alveolar spaces, establishing a diagnosis of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Anticoagulant therapy may have caused the hemorrhage, because the patient had no immunologic disorder or renal disease. The shadows completely disappeared after steroid therapy and discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage should be considered, when extensive infiltrates develop on chest roentgenogram in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy after open heart surgery. Lung biopsy is essential, when a bronchoalveolar lavage fails to diagnose the disease.

Effect of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor (ONO-5046 Na) on ischemia/reperfusion injury using the left-sided heterotopic canine heart transplantation model.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia/reperfusion injury is a major cause of transplanted heart dysfunction. Several reports have demonstrated that polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) elastase derived from the activated neutrophils might play an important role in this injury. Herein, we investigated the protective effects of PMN elastase inhibitor (ONO-5046 Na) on ischemia/reperfusion injury using a left-sided canine heterotopic heart transplantation model. METHODS: We used 10 pairs of adult beagle dogs. The donor heart was transplanted heterotopically into the left thoracic cavity of the recipient without cardiopulmonary bypass. A bolus of ONO-5046 Na (10 mg/kg) was introduced intravenously to 5 recipients (group II) at 15 minutes before reperfusion and was followed by continuous infusion (10 mg/kg per hour) for 180 minutes. Five dogs (group I) did not receive ONO-5046 Na and thus served as a control. After reperfusion, we evaluated transplanted heart function and obtained blood samples from the coronary sinus over a 360-minute period. RESULTS: E(max) and pre-load recruitable stroke work in group II showed significantly better recovery than group I. Blood levels of PMN elastase, creatine kinase MB, lactate and inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-8) were significantly lower in group II. Depletion of myocardial concentration of adenosine triphosphate at 120 minutes after reperfusion and myocardial water content was significantly lower in group II. CONCLUSIONS: ONO-5046 Na, which inhibits PMN elastase, could reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury in heart transplantation. These results indicate that clinical application of ONO-5046 Na should be considered.

The use of a Dumon stent for the treatment of a bronchopleural fistula.

We report the successful management of a bronchopleural fistula with bronchial stent placement combined with irrigation of the empyema cavity. A bronchopleural fistula occurred in a 67-year-old man after a right upper lobectomy for lung cancer. Resuturing of the bronchial stump plus omental wrapping and subsequent closure of the open stump with a pedicled flap of intercostal muscle were not effective. Consequently, we placed a Dumon stent in the right main bronchus to close the stump.

Balloon catheter for cyst aspiration in a thoracoscopic resection of mediastinal cysts.

In a thoracoscopic resection of mediastinal cysts, aspiration of the cyst contents at the beginning of the procedure is often helpful because it allows the cyst to be more easily grasped and manipulated. Spillage of the cyst contents into the thoracic cavity may, however, occur during aspiration when an ordinary aspiration needle is used. If the cyst contents are infective, then a subsequent contamination of the thoracic cavity may develop. We therefore use a specially designed double-balloon catheter for aspiration to minimize spillage of the cyst contents into the thoracic cavity. We describe herein the usefulness of this aspiration technique.

[Experience of four cases of postoperative pulmonary embolism requiring surgical treatment].

Four patients underwent a pulmonary embolectomy using cardiopulmonary bypass for acute pulmonary embolism which had occurred after various operations. In two cases, dehydration due to either diabetes insipidus or ileus had existed. In two cases, pulmonary embolism suddenly occurred in our hospital. In the remainder, the disease occurred in the previous hospitals and its diagnosis was established on the 6th and 7th postoperative days, respectively. In massive pulmonary embolism, echocardiography and/or enhanced chest CT are useful for prompt and noninvasive diagnosis. Thrombolytic therapy was performed in only one case before surgical embolectomy, which was not effective. Three patients were discharged without any postoperative complications, but one requiring preoperative external cardiac massage died of multiple organ failure 9 days after operation. Acute pulmonary embolism is one of the fatal postoperative complications. Recognition of this entity, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential for managing the fatal disease. Even in the early postoperative period, embolectomy using cardiopulmonary bypass is a safe and effective treatment.

Ruptured thymoma causing mediastinal hemorrhage resected via partial sternotomy.

A case of a ruptured thymoma causing mediastinal hemorrhage and hemothorax that was electively resected by a partial sternotomy approach is presented. This case and others previously reported illustrate that a sudden onset of dyspnea and chest pain accompanied by acute mediastinal widening on chest roentgenogram in a previously healthy patient should suggest the diagnosis of a ruptured thymoma. An upper part sternotomy approach may be as safe and effective as a less invasive surgical procedure in resection of noninvasive thymomas, even if dense tumor adhesion exists.

[Surgical treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma in eight cases].

Between 1987 and March 2000, we have operated on eight patients for malignant mesothelioma which consisted of four of localized type and four of diffuse type. We have aggressively resected mesothelioma combined with chemotherapy whether the tumor was primary or recurrent, and concluded the following. 1) In localized malignant mesothelioma, en-bloc primary tumor resection was possible and additional resection for recurrence was effective and useful for long time survival. 2) In diffuse malignant mesothelioma, complete tumor resection was impossible to even perform pleuropneumonectomy accompanied with partial resection of pericardium and diaphragm and, therefore, the prognosis was poor in four patients and all died around one year. 3) Because recurrent pattern for localized type was diffuse type, diagnosis and surgical treatment in early stage was essential for long time survival.

[Simultaneous operation for lung tumor and cardiovascular disease].

Successful simultaneous operation for lung tumor and cardiovascular disease was performed in three cases. A 76-year-old man with stage I lung cancer and ischemic heart disease underwent a partial lobectomy following single coronary artery bypass grafting through a median sternotomy. A 62-year-old man with stage I suspected lung cancer and thoracic aortic aneurysm underwent a partial segmentectomy before aneurysmectomy and patch closure using vascular prosthesis through a left posterolateral thoracotomy. These two cases were performed under extracorporeal circulation. A 69-year-old man with bronchogenic carcinoma and abdominal aortic aneurysm underwent a left upper lobectomy with standard lympho node dissection following aneurysmectomy and grafting using vascular prosthesis. As a simultaneous procedure, limited operation for lung tumor, especially for stage I non-small cell lung cancer, is acceptable for cases in using extracorporeal circulation. On the other hand, except emergency ruptured cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm, standard radical operation for lung cancer as a simultaneous procedure is preferred for cases such as lung cancer accompanied with abdominal aortic aneurysm without extracorporeal circulation.