Kemal Ayalp

Robotic lung segmentectomy for malignant and benign lesions

OBJECTIVE Surgical use of robots has evolved over the last 10 years. However, the academic experience with robotic lung segmentectomy remains limited. We aimed to analyze our lung segmentectomy experience with robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. METHODS Prospectively recorded clinical data of 21 patients who underwent robotic lung anatomic segmentectomy with robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery were retrospectively reviewed. All cases were done using the da Vinci System. A three incision portal technique with a 3 cm utility incision in the posterior 10(th) to 11(th) intercostal space was performed. Individual dissection, ligation and division of the hilar structures were performed. Systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection or sampling was performed in 15 patients either with primary or secondary metastatic cancers. RESULTS Fifteen patients (75%) were operated on for malignant lung diseases. Conversion to open surgery was not necessary. Postoperative complications occurred in four patients. Mean console robotic operating time was 84±26 (range, 40-150) minutes. Mean duration of chest tube drainage and mean postoperative hospital stay were 3±2.1 (range, 1-10) and 4±1.4 (range, 2-7) days respectively. The mean number of mediastinal stations and number of dissected lymph nodes were 4.2 and 14.3 (range, 2-21) from mediastinal and 8.1 (range, 2-19) nodes from hilar and interlobar stations respectively. CONCLUSIONS Robot-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy for malignant and benign lesions appears to be practical, safe, and associated with few complications and short postoperative hospitalization. Lymph node removal also appears oncologically acceptable for early lung cancer patients. Benefits in terms of postoperative pain, respiratory function, and quality of life needs a comparative, prospective series particularly with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Robotic and video-assisted thoracic surgery lung segmentectomy for malignant and benign lesions

OBJECTIVES The experience with robotic techniques (RATS) and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in pulmonary segmentectomy is still limited. We evaluated our prospectively recorded database to compare two different minimally invasive techniques. METHODS Between May 2007 and July 2014, a total of 99 patients underwent RATS (n = 34) and VATS (n = 65) pulmonary segmentectomies at two institutions. The median age of patients was 59 ± 15 (16-84) years, and 61% were male. Seventy-six patients were operated on for malignancy and 23 for benign diseases. RESULTS The major morbidity and mortality rates were 24-23% and 0-1.5% for RATS and VATS (P = 0.57) and (P = 0.66), respectively. The mean console time for RATS was longer than the mean operation time for VATS [76 ± 23 (40-150) vs 65 ± 22 (30-120) min (P = 0.018)]. The mean duration of drainage was similar for RATS and VATS [3.53 ± 2.3 (1-10) days vs 3.98 ± 3.6 (1-21) (P = 0.90)], respectively. The duration of postoperative stay for RATS was 4.65 ± 1.94 (2-10) days and for VATS was 6.16 ± 4.7 (2-24) days (P = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS Both RATS and VATS pulmonary segmentectomy operations are performed with similar morbidity and mortality rates. Although the duration of operation is longer in RATS when compared with an established VATS programme, there is a tendency towards a shorter postoperative stay.

Resection of a bronchogenic cyst in the first decade of life with robotic surgery

The conventional surgical approach for the removal of bronchogenic cyst in children is thoracotomy. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is still under debate with the concerns of incomplete removal and injury to major intrathoracic structures. In this case report, we present an 8-year old patient who was successfully treated with robotic surgery (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA, USA). Robotic technology enables precise dissection and complete resection of the thoracic bronchogenic cyst without violating the capsule and adjacent major intrathoracic structures. She was discharged on postoperative Day 2 and was active on Day 5.

Robotic thymectomy—a new approach for thymus

Advancements in modern technology bring many evolutions in minimally invasive surgery such as robot assisted approaches. Because of complete resection is so important in thymectomy operations, they became a new era for robotic surgery as a result of its superiorities (intuitive movements, tremor filtration, more degrees of manipulative freedom, motion scaling, and high-definition stereoscopic vision).

Can the da Vinci robotic system be alternative to open surgery for schwannoma in posterior mediastinum

OBJECTIVE: In the present study, the outcomes and technical details of patients who underwent surgical resection for benign schwannoma with the da Vinci robotic system are presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the scope of our robotic surgery program, 26 (8.7%) patients out of 296 patients were operated using the da Vinci robotic system. Five patients (19.2%) who underwent surgery of benign schwannoma were included in the study. Prospectively, collected data of these patients were retrospectively evaluated. Age, gender, robot docking and console times, length of hospital stay, anatomic localizations of the lesions, pathology results, blood infusion needs, and mortality and morbidity rates of the patients were recorded. RESULTS: All patients were male, and the mean age was 43.2 ± 12.1 years. The mean length of hospital stay was 3 ± 0.9 days. The mean console time was 27.6 ± 18.8 min, and the mean docking time was 12 ± 4 min. None of the patients received blood transfusion. Utility incision was made in only one patient. Postoperative ptosis was detected in two patients with tumors where located in the apical region, and no mortality occurred. CONCLUSION: Due to the advantages of robotic surgery to the surgeon, patients with schwannoma in extreme locations that would pose challenges in dissection could be operated with da Vinci system.

Robot-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: Pros and Cons

Purpose of ReviewIn the last two decades, minimally invasive approaches for thoracic surgery have become the major challenge in the field of thoracic surgery. These techniques became preferable over open surgery (thoracotomy) in terms of reducing pain and having aesthetic advantages. However, patient selection is one of the most important factors for minimally invasive surgery because of related limitations and insufficiency of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).Recent FindingsRobot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) has been developed to overcome the limitations of VATS. Better flexibility and transmission the surgeon’s convenient manoeuvrability in the thoracic cavity are some of the advantages of robotic surgery.SummaryThis paper focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of RATS in comparison to that of VATS and thoracotomy.

Spinal cord ischaemia after radical pleurectomy/decortication operation for mesothelioma

Radical pleurectomy/decortication was performed in a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma. During the surgery, the left subclavian artery was injured, and repaired via resection and anastomosis. However, the patient was diagnosed with paraplegia following extubation. After deliberate investigations, the mechanism of injury to the critical vascular zone of the spinal cord was determined. Here, we aim to draw attention to possible similar injuries.

A late visceral hernia after diaphragmatic flap coverage of the bronchial stump

A 54-year-old man presented with sudden and severe abdominal pain, and vomiting. He had underwent a right pneumonectomy with bronchial stump reinforcement using diaphragmatic muscle flap 9 years ago, due to non-small cell lung cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A right partial visceral herniation had been detected 5 years ago during the follow-up which was not present at previous visits. He had refused any surgical intervention since he had been asymptomatic. The chest computed tomography demonstrated visceral herniation. The patient underwent an urgent operation via thoracoabdominal incision to repair the herniation. This type of late catastrophic complication of diaphragmatic muscle flap reinforcement is extremely rare.