Project description:BackgroundCytokines play a crucial role in the inflammatory response and are essential modulators of injury repair mechanisms. While minimally invasive operations have been shown to induce lower levels of cytokines compared to open thoracotomy, the inflammatory cytokine profile difference between video-assisted (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) techniques has yet to be elucidated.MethodsIn this prospective observational study of 45 patients undergoing RATS (n=30) or VATS (n=15) lung resection for malignancy, plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, monocyte chemo-attractant protein (MCP)-1, and endothelial growth factor (EGF) were measured before and after surgery via immunoassay.ResultsLevels of IL-6 and MCP-1 were significantly higher in patients undergoing VATS than in patients undergoing RATS (P<0.001 and P=0.005, respectively) 2 hours following surgery. MCP-1 levels were also found to be significantly higher in the VATS group (P<0.001) 24 hours following surgery. IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and EGF levels were not significantly different at any time-point comparing VATS to RATS.ConclusionsThe VATS approach is associated with a more robust pro-inflammatory cytokine response through the upregulation of MCP-1 and IL-6 when compared to the RATS approach in patients undergoing anatomic lung resection. Further studies are necessary to validate the clinical significance of this finding.
Project description:BackgroundRobot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) has an increasing usage throughout the world. This retrospective cohort study aimed to objectively compare the surgical results between video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and RATS in posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors (PMNT).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 130 patients diagnosed with posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumor between 2015 and 2018. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or enhanced computed tomography scan (CT-scan) was used to locate the tumor and investigate the Adamkiewicz's artery preoperatively. The individual surgical approach was determined by both tumor size and patient's willings.ResultsThe surgical time in RATS (43.2±12.6 min) was tended to be less than that in VATS (47.4±11.9 min) (P=0.054). Meanwhile, the estimated blood loss in RATS group (85.8±22.6 mL) was significantly less than that in VATS group (95.3±28.4 mL) (P=0.040). However, the duration of chest tube (days) and volume of drainage (mL) had no significant difference between two groups (P=0.12 and P=0.68, respectively). The postoperative hospital stay (days) of patients in RATS group (2.2±0.4 days) was significantly shorter than that in VATS group (2.4±0.6 days) (P=0.031). There were no significant differences between two groups in the incidence of the postoperative complications and adverse reactions.ConclusionsRATS has the superiorities in terms of surgical blood loss and postoperative hospital stay over VATS for posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumor. In conclusion, RATS could be a feasible and safe way for resecting posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumor.
Project description:BackgroundSubxiphoid approach for mediastinal tumor resection was reported to provide a better view and less postoperative pain. Non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (NI-VATS) without muscle relaxant would decrease the possibility of postoperative airway collapse for anterior mediastinal mass operation. Herein, we sought to describe the use of NI-VATS through subxiphoid approach for anterior mediastinal tumor resection.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, patients that underwent subxiphoid VATS resection for anterior mediastinal tumor between December 2015 and September 2019 were divided into two groups: NI-VATS and intubated VATS (I-VATS). Intraoperative and postoperative variables were compared.ResultsA total of 40 patients were included. Among them, 21 patients received NI-VATS (52.5%) and 19 were treated with I-VATS (47.5%). In total, intraoperative (4/21 vs. 2/19; P=0.446) and postoperative complications (5/21 vs. 7/19; P=0.369) were similar between NI-VATS and I-VATS group. The anesthesia time (231.76 vs. 244.71 min; P=0.218), the operation time (152.35 vs. 143.64 min; P=0.980), chest tube duration (1.81 vs. 1.84 days; P=0.08), the total volume (351.95 vs. 348.00 mL; P=0.223), post-operative pain scores (2.79 vs. 2.93, P=0.413), and the length of stay (9.47 vs. 10.57 days; P=0.970) were all comparable between two groups.ConclusionsNI-VATS for mediastinal tumor resection via subxiphoid approach is a safe and technically feasible option in selected patients, which leads to comparable perioperative clinical outcomes when compared with I-VATS via the subxiphoid approach. This technique could be used as an alteration when intubation is not available.
Project description:BackgroundSurgical resection of the thymus is indicated in the presence of primary thymic diseases such as thymoma. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) offer a minimally invasive approach to thymectomy. However, there is no clear conclusion whether RATS can achieve an equal or even better surgical effect when compared with VATS in treatment of thymoma. We performed this meta-analysis to explore and compare the outcomes of RATS versus VATS for thymectomy in patients with thymoma.MethodsPubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Medline, and Web of Science databases were searched for full-text literature citations. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the data analyzed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Fixed or random effect models were applied according to heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was conducted.ResultsA total of 11 studies with 1418 patients, of whom 688 patients were in the RATS group and 730 in the VATS group, were involved in the analysis. Compared with VATS, RATS was associated with less blood loss in operation, lower volume of drainage, fewer postoperative pleural drainage days, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and fewer postoperative complications. There was no significant difference in operative time and patients with or without myasthenia gravis between the two groups.ConclusionsRATS has more advantages over VATS, indicating that RATS is better than VATS in terms of postoperative recovery. We look forward to more large-sample, high-quality randomized controlled studies published in the future.
Project description:This aim of this study was to compare three approaches of extended thymectomy for the treatment of early-stage thymomas, which included robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and median sternotomy (MS) perioperative parameters.A retrospective study was conducted on 123 patients with early stage thymomas at Shanghai Chest Hospital who underwent extended thymectomy between February 2009 and August 2014. Among them, MS was performed on 37 patients, VATS was performed on 35 patients, and RATS was performed on 51 patients. A series of outcome measures were compared between these three approaches, including operative time, intra-operative blood loss volume, occurrence of intra-operative complications, post-operative pleural drainage duration, post-operative pleural drainage volume, duration of hospital stay, and the incidence of post-operative complications.A series of intra- and post-operative parameters showed significant differences in intra-operative blood loss volume, mean post-operative pleural drainage duration, pleural drainage volume and mean duration of hospital stay. For these parameters, during further analysis, significant differences were also demonstrated for comparisons between any two groups. RATS reduces the post-operative drainage duration and volume (2.88 vs. 3.77 and 4.41 days, P<0.05; 352.2 vs. 613.9 and 980 mL, P<0.05) and the hospital stay versus the MS and VATS groups (4.3 vs. 5.5 and 6.6 days). Three patients experienced post-operative complications in the MS group, and no post-operative complications occurred in the RATS or VATS group.RATS and VATS both appear feasible and safe for the resection of early-stage thymomas as compared to MS. RATS is less invasive than VATS with a shorter post-operative pleural drainage duration time, a reduced drainage volume, and a shorter hospital stay.
Project description:Background Recently, robot-assisted thoracic surgery has been increasingly performed for mediastinal disease. However, appropriate postoperative analgesic methods have not been evaluated. Methods We retrospectively studied patients who underwent robot-assisted thoracic surgery for mediastinal disease at a single university hospital between January 2019 and December 2021. Patients were performed either general anesthesia alone, general anesthesia combined with thoracic epidural anesthesia, or general anesthesia combined with ultrasound-guided thoracic block. Patients were divided into three groups [non-block (NB), thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA), and thoracic paraspinal block (TB)] according to postoperative analgesic methods, and they compared with terms of postoperative pain scores by using numerical rating scale (NRS) at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h. Additionally, rescue supplemental analgesic within 24 h, side effects of anesthesia such as respiratory depression, hypotension, postoperative nausea and vomiting, pruritus and urinary retention, time to ambulation after surgery, and hospital stay after surgery were also compared among the three groups. Results Data from 169 patients (Group NB: 25, Group TEA: 102, and Group TB: 42) were progressed to the analysis. Postoperative pain scale at 6 and 12 h was significantly lower in Group TEA than NB (1.2±1.6 vs. 2.4±1.8, P<0.01; and 1.2±1.5 vs. 2.2±1.7, P=0.018, respectively). There were no differences in pain scores between Groups TB and TEA at any point. The incidence of patients using rescue analgesics within 24 h was significantly different between groups [Group NB: 15/25 (60%), Group TEA: 30/102 (29.4%), Group TB: 25/42 (59.5%), P=0.01]. For postoperative side effects, only the number of patients complaining of postoperative nausea and vomiting for 24 h after surgery differed significantly between groups [Group NB: 7/25 (28%), Group TEA: 19/102 (18.6%), Group TB: 1/42 (2.4%), P=0.01]. Conclusions TEA provided better analgesia after robot-assisted thoracic surgery for mediastinal disease than NB as indicated by lower pain scores and fewer rescue analgesic requirements. However, the frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lowest in Group TB of all the groups. Thus, TBs might also provide adequate postoperative analgesia following robot-assisted thoracic surgery for mediastinal disease.
Project description:ObjectivesLymph node dissection (LND) with robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) in lung cancer surgery has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare LND surgical results between video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and RATS.MethodsWe retrospectively compared perioperative parameters, including the incidence of LND-associated complications (chylothorax, recurrent and/or phrenic nerve paralysis and bronchopleural fistula), lymph node (LN) counts and postoperative locoregional recurrence, among 390 patients with primary lung cancer who underwent lobectomy and mediastinal LND by RATS (n = 104) or VATS (n = 286) at our institution.ResultsThe median total dissected LN numbers significantly differed between the RATS and the VATS groups (RATS: 18, VATS: 15; P < 0.001). They also significantly differed in right upper zone and hilar (#2R + #4R + #10L) (RATS: 12, VATS: 10; P = 0.002), left lower paratracheal and hilar (#4L + #10L) (RATS: 4, VATS: 3; P = 0.019), aortopulmonary zone (#5 + #6) (RATS: 3, VATS: 2; P = 0.001) and interlobar and lobar (#11 + #12) LNs (RATS: 7, VATS: 6; P = 0.041). The groups did not significantly differ in overall nodal upstaging (P = 0.64), total blood loss (P = 0.69) or incidence of LND-associated complications (P = 0.77).ConclusionsIn this comparison, it was suggested that more LNs could be dissected using RATS than VATS, especially in bilateral superior mediastinum and hilar regions. Accumulation of more cases and longer observation periods are needed to verify whether RATS can provide the acceptable quality of LND and local control of lung cancer.
Project description:BackgroundAimed to assess clinical effect of three-port inflatable robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in mediastinal tumor resection by comparing results of the robot group with the video group.MethodsRetrospectively analyze 179 patients diagnosed with anterior mediastinal tumor from May 2017 to August 2021. Two groups were divided according to the surgical approach, including 92 cases in the RATS group and 87 cases in the VATS group. The results were analyzed between two groups with variables of age, sex, BMI, tumor size, and diagnosis. Perioperative clinical data was gathered to compare.ResultThere were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regards to demographic data and clinical features. There were no significant differences inoperative time and duration of chest tube via RATS vs. VATS. The intraoperative blood loss was statistically significantly different among the RATS and VATS groups (75.9 ± 39.6 vs. 97.4 ± 35.8 ml p = 0.042). The postoperative stay of patients in RATS group were significantly shorter than that in VATS group (2.3 ± 1.0 vs. 3.4 ± 1.4 day p = 0.035), CONCLUSION: Three-port inflatable robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal tumor is feasible and reliable it is more advantageous, and it provides the surgeon with advice on treatment choice.
Project description:BackgroundIn surgical advancements, robot-assisted surgery (RAS) holds several promises like shorter hospital stays, reduced complications, and improved technical capabilities over standard care. Despite extensive evidence, the actual patient benefits of RAS remain unclear. Thus, our systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of RAS in visceral and thoracic surgery compared to laparoscopic or open surgery.MethodsWe performed a systematic literature search in two databases (Medline via Ovid and The Cochrane Library) in April 2023. The search was restricted to 14 predefined thoracic and visceral procedures and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Synthesis of data on critical outcomes followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology, and the risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's Tool Version 1.ResultsFor five out of 14 procedures, no evidence could be identified. A total of 20 RCTs and five follow-up publications met the inclusion criteria. Overall, most studies had either not reported or measured patient-relevant endpoints. The majority of outcomes showed comparable results between study groups. However, RAS demonstrated potential advantages in specific endpoints (e.g., blood loss), yet these findings relied on a limited number of low-quality studies. Statistically significant RAS benefits were also noted in some outcomes for certain indications-recurrence, quality of life, transfusions, and hospitalisation. Safety outcomes were improved for patients undergoing robot-assisted gastrectomy, as well as rectal and liver resection. Regarding operation time, results were contradicting.ConclusionIn summary, conclusive assertions on RAS superiority are impeded by inconsistent and insufficient low-quality evidence across various outcomes and procedures. While RAS may offer potential advantages in some surgical areas, healthcare decisions should also take into account the limited quality of evidence, financial implications, and environmental factors. Furthermore, considerations should extend to the ergonomic aspects for maintaining a healthy surgical environment.
Project description:A 61-year-old woman presented to our team with giant mediastinal liposarcoma causing compression of the esophagus, bronchus, and left atrium. Given the patient's advanced presentation and reduced cardiac reserve, rescue venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used in addition to standard robotic-assisted thoracic surgery for mass resection.