With the wide popularization of low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer, the proportion of early detection of lung cancer has increased significantly. Due to the favorable prognosis of ground-glass nodule-lung cancer, a prospective multicenter clinical trial in Japan has confirmed the safety and efficacy of segmentectomy. Identification of the intersegmental plane is one of the key steps in segmentectomy. Understanding its physiological mechanism can provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the identification technique, identifying intersegmental plane more accurately and quickly, improving the surgical effect and reducing complications. This article mainly introduces the identification technology of the intersegmental plane and its physiological mechanism in pulmonary segmentectomy.
Objective To evaluate the security and clinical value of the combination of three-dimensional computed tomography-bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) and indocyanine green (ICG) staining in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) segmentectomy. Methods The clinical data of 125 patients who received VATS segmentectomy from January 2020 to January 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 40 (32.0%) males and 85 (68.0%) females with an average age of 54.8±11.1 years. Results The procedure was almost identical to the preoperative simulation. All intersegment planes were displayed successfully by ICG reverse staining method. There was no allergic patient. A total of 130 pathological specimens were obtained from the 125 patients. The mean operation time was 126.8±41.9 min, the time of first appearance of fluorescence was 22.7±4.9 s, the mean mark time was 65.6±20.3 s, the median blood loss was 20.0 (10.0-400.0) mL, the postoperative hospital stay was 5.6 (4.0-28.0) d, and the postoperative retention of chest tube time was 3.2 (2.0-25.0) d. Pathological results showed that microinvasive adenocarcinoma was the most common type (38.5%, 50/130), followed by invasive adenocarcinoma (36.9%, 48/130); there were 3 metastatic tumors (3/130, 2.3%).Conclusion The combination of 3D-CTBA and ICG reverse staining is proved to be a safe, necessary and feasible method. It solves the difficult work encountered in the procedure of segmentectomy, and it is worth popularizing and applying in clinic.
Objective To explore the guiding significance of preoperative 3D reconstruction for pulmonary nodule location and thoracoscopic surgical method selection in lung cancer patients. Methods The clinical data of the patients with preoperative 3D reconstruction in our China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January and November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative surgical planning was performed using 3D reconstruction. Different surgical procedure, including wedge resection, segmentectomy, lobectomy, or combined surgical procedure were performed based on tumor location, size and distance from the pleura. Results A total of 115 patients were included with 45 males and 70 females, at an average age of 25-84 (58.29±11.36) years and successfully completed the operation. Fifty-five (47.8%) patients' nodule diameter was tangent cross-section, among whom twenty-five (21.7%) patients of nodules crossed sections. There were 21 patients of wedge resection in the outer 1/3 nodules of CT, which had shorter operation time and less cost (P<0.001) and less intraoperative bleeding (P=0.019). For the crossing sections or edge crossing sections nodules of the middle and inner of CT, 6 patients were of simple pulmonary segmentectomy, 8 patients of combined with sub-segmentectomy, 7 patients of combined segmentectomy, 5 patients of lobectomy, and 3 patients of wedge resection. Conclusion The proportion of cross-segment pulmonary nodules is relatively high. For the outer 1/3 nodules of CT, compared with pulmonary segmental resection combined with adjacent lung tissue resection, wedge resection can also ensure sufficient surgical margin, and the middle and inner 1/3 nodules of CT need to be combined with adjacent pulmonary tissue resection to ensure the surgical edge.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of segmentectomy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 88 patients with pulmonary malignant or benign lung tumor who underwent segmentectomy in our hospital between January 2007 and December 2012. There were 45 male and 43 female patients. There were 29 patients in the segmentectomy group and 59 patients in the lobectomy group. Nonsmall cell lung cancer patients underwent segmentectomy were matched with non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent lobectomy. Perioperative factors and tumor relative prognosis were analyzed. ResultsSegmentectomy were performed in 29 patients in our institution. Average operation time was 210 minutes. Intraoperative blood loss was 166 ml. Postoperative drainage was 2 147 ml. The average extubation duration was 6 days. No significant difference was found in operation time (P>0.999), intraoperative blood loss (P=0.207), postoperative drainage (P=0.946), extubation duration (P=0.804), and postoperative complication (P>0.999) between segmentectomy pulmonary benign disease and segmentectomy lung cancer groups. Compared with lobectomy, segmentectomy showed similar operation time (P=0.462), intraoperative blood loss (P=0.783), extubation duration (P=0.072), complication ratio (P>0.999), and postoperative recurrence/metastasis ratio (P=0.417). While the number of N1 lymph nodes (P=0.033) and N1 station (P=0.024) were fewer in the segmentectomy group than those in the lobectomy group. The overall survival rate (P=0.340) and disease free survival rate (P=0.373) were both comparable between the segmentectomy and the lobectomy group. ConclusionSegmentectomy could be an alternate of lobectomy for patients with selective pulmonary benign disease, and for some early stage non-small cell lung cancer patients with restricted pulmonary function.
ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the clinical outcomes of minimally invasive lung segment resection (MILSR) and lobe resection (MILLR) for stageⅠA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to provide reference for clinical application. MethodsOnline databases including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, SinoMed, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched from inception to January 21, 2023 by two researchers independently. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The prognostic indicators included the overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). The meta-analysis was performed using STATA 14.0. ResultsA total of 13 studies with 1 853 patients were enrolled in the final study, with NOS scores ≥7 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the MILLR group, the blood loss was less [SMD=−0.36, 95%CI (−0.49, −0.23), P<0.001], postoperative drainage tube retention time [SMD=−0.34, 95%CI (−0.62, −0.05), P=0.019] and hospitalization time [SMD=−0.28, 95%CI (−0.40, −0.15), P<0.001] were shorter in the MILSR group. More lymph nodes [SMD=−0.65, 95%CI (−0.78, −0.53), P<0.001] and shorter operation time [SMD=0.20, 95%CI (0.07, 0.33), P=0.003] were found in the MILLR group. There were no statistical differences in the incidence of postoperative complications, postoperative recurrence rate, OS, DFS or RFS between the two groups. ConclusionAlthough the number of lymph nodes removed by MILSR is limited compared with MILLR, it does not affect the prognosis. MILSR has advantages in reducing intraoperative blood loss and shortening postoperative drainage tube retention time and hospital stay. For the surgical treatment of stageⅠA NSCLC, MILSR may be a more appropriate surgical approach.
ObjectiveTo analyze the operation outcomes and learning curve of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).MethodsAll consecutive patients who underwent uniportal VATS between November 2018 and December 2020 in Shangjin Branch of West China Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospectively enrolled, including 62 males and 86 females with a mean age of 50.1±13.4 years. Operations included lobectomy, segmentectomy, wedge resection, mediastinal mass resection and hemopneumothorax. Accordingly, patients' clinical features in different phases were collected and compared to determine the outcome difference and learning curve for uniportal VATS.ResultsMedian postoperative hospital stay was 5 days, and the overall complication rate was 8.1% (12/148). There was no 30-day death after surgery or readmissions. Median postoperative pain score was 3. Over time, the operation time, incision length and blood loss were optimized in the uniportal VATS lobectomy, the incision length and blood loss increased in the uniportal VATS segmentectomy, and the postoperative hospital stay decreased in the uniportal VATS wedge resection.ConclusionUniportal VATS is safe and feasible for both standard and complex pulmonary resections. While, no remarkable learning curve for uniportal VATS lobectomy is observed for experienced surgeon.
ObjectiveTo compare the perioperative outcomes between robot-assisted complex segmentectomy and simple segmentectomy for stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MethodsThe clinical data of 285 patients with NSCLC undergoing robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) in our hospital from January 2015 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 105 males and 180 females aged 23-83 years. The patients were divided into a complex segmentectomy group (n=170) and a simple segmentectomy group (n=115) according to tumor location and surgical method. The clinical pathological baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes between the two groups were compared, including operative time, blood loss volume, dissected lymph nodes, conversion rate, postoperative duration of drainage, postoperative hospital stay, the incidence of persistent air leakage and postoperative 30 d mortality. ResultsThere was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). No postoperative 30 d death was observed. One patient in the complex segmentectomy group was transferred to thoracotomy. No statistical difference was observed between the two groups in the operative time (97.36±38.16 min vs. 94.65±31.67 min, P=0.515), postoperative duration of drainage (3.69±1.85 d vs. 3.60±1.90 d, P=0.679), postoperative hospital stay (4.07±1.85 d vs. 4.05±1.97 d, P=0.957), dissected lymph nodes (5.15±3.53 vs. 5.13±2.93, P=0.952), incidence of blood loss volume<100 mL (98.2% vs. 99.1%, P=0.650), and incidence of postoperative persistent air leakage (6.5% vs. 5.2%, P=0.661). ConclusionThe safety and effectiveness of robot-assisted complex segmentectomy and simple segmentectomy are satisfactory in the treatment of stage ⅠA NSCLC. The perioperative results of RATS complex segmentectomy and simple segmentectomy are similar.
ObjectiveTo compare the clinical application of empirical thoracoscopic segmentectomy and precise segmentectomy planned by artificial intelligence software, and to provide some reference for clinical segmentectomy. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on the patients who underwent thoracoscopic segmentectomy in our department from 2019 to 2022. The patients receiving empirical thoracoscopic segmentectomy from January 2019 to September 2021 were selected as a group A, and the patients receiving precise segmentectomy from October 2021 to December 2022 were selected as a group B. The number of preoperative Hookwire positioning needle, proportion of patients meeting oncology criteria, surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative chest drainage time, postoperative hospital stay, and number of patients converted to thoracotomy between the two groups were compared. Results A total of 322 patients were collected. There were 158 patients in the group A, including 56 males and 102 females with a mean age of 56.86±8.82 years, and 164 patients in the group B, including 55 males and 109 females with a mean age of 56.69±9.05 years. All patients successfully underwent thoracoscopic segmentectomy, and patients whose resection margin did not meet the oncology criteria were further treated with extended resection or even lobectomy. There was no perioperative death. The number of positioning needles used for segmentectomy in the group A was more than that in the group B [47 (29.7%) vs. 9 (5.5%), P<0.001]. There was no statistical difference in the number of positioning needles used for wedge resection between the two groups during the same period (P=0.572). In the group A, the nodule could not be found in the resection target segment in 3 patients, and the resection margin was insufficient in 10 patients. While in the group B, the nodule could not be found in 1 patient, and the resection margin was insufficient in 3 patients. There was a statistical difference between the two groups [13 (8.2%) vs. 4 (2.4%), P=0.020]. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative thoracic drainage, postoperative hospital stay, or conversion to open chest surgery (P＞0.05). Conclusion Preoperative surgical planning performed with the help of artificial intelligence software can effectively guide the completion of thoracoscopic anatomical segmentectomy. It can effectively ensure the resection margin of pulmonary nodules meeting the oncological requirements and significantly reduce the number of positioning needles of pulmonary nodules.
Objective To investigate the surgical procedure selection, operation technique and safety of anatomic sublobar resection for pulmonary nodules. Methods The clinical data of 242 patients with clinical stage ⅠA lung cancer who underwent anatomic sublobar resection in our hospital between 2017 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 81 males and 161 females with a median age of 57.0 (50.0, 65.0) years. They were divided into 4 groups according to the surgical methods, including a segmentectomy group (n=148), a combined segmentectomy group (n=31), an enlarged segmentectomy group (n=43) and an anatomic wedge resection group (n=20). The preoperative CT data, operation related indexes and early postoperative outcomes of each group were summarized. Results The median medical history of the patients was 4.0 months. The median maximum diameter of nodule on CT image was 1.1 cm, and the consolidation/tumor ratio (CTR) was ≤0.25 in 81.0% of the patients. A total of 240 patients were primary lung adenocarcinoma. The median operation time was 130.0 min, the median blood loss was 50.0 mL, the median chest drainage time was 3.0 d, and the hospitalization cost was (53.0±12.0) thousand yuan. The operation time of combined segmentectomy was longer than that of the segmentectomy group (P=0.001). The operation time (P=0.000), intraoperative blood loss (P=0.000), lymph nodes dissected (P=0.007) and cost of hospitalization (P=0.000) in the anatomic wedge resection group were shorter or less than those in the other three groups. There was no significant difference in the drainage time, total drainage volume, air leakage or postoperative hospital stay among the four groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The combined application of segmentectomy and wedge resection technique provides a more flexible surgical option for the surgical treatment of early lung cancer with ground glass opacity as the main component.