Motoaki Yasukawa

Alternative choices of total and partial thymectomy in video-assisted resection of noninvasive thymomas

BackgroundThe purpose of this report is to discuss the appropriate choice of procedures for video-assisted resection of thymoma according to factors such as the presence of myasthenia gravis or location of the tumor.MethodsWe evaluated the short-term results of thoracoscopic surgery for 30 consecutive cases of noninvasive thymoma. Unilateral thoracoscopic partial (or subtotal) thymectomy (UTPT) was employed in patients with nonmyasthenic thymoma localized to the unilateral mediastinum, and extended (or total) thymectomy by an infrasternal mediastinal approach (ETIS) in myasthenic cases or those in which total thymectomy was considered inevitable.ResultsUTPT was performed on 11 nonmyasthenic patients, and ETIS on 19 (13 myasthenics and six nonmyasthenics). Three patients in the ETIS group underwent conversion to sternotomy because of pericardial dissemination, pleural adhesion, and vascular injury, respectively. The mean surgical duration was 163 min and 224 min and mean blood loss was 123 g versus 149 g for UTPT and ETIS, respectively. Post-thymomectomy myasthenia occurred in a patient after UTPT who made an excellent recovery to remission after the re-UTPT. There has not been any recurrence detected for 48 months of mean postoperative follow-up.ConclusionsOur trial regarding the choice of total or partial thymectomy in thoracoscopic surgery for thymomas yielded acceptable results that warrant further investigations into long-term survival and recurrence after longer-term observation of patients undergoing these procedures.

The Change in Body Composition After Bilateral Lung Volume Reduction Surgery for Underweight Patients with Severe Emphysema

Abstract. The aim of this study was to examine the short-term effect of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) on body composition and other nutritional indicators in 28 patients with emphysema underwent thoracoscopic LVRS. Functional tests, body weight (BW), and body composition were measured before and 6 months after surgery. Mean daily caloric intake (CI) was estimated by 3-day dietary record as well. Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) were assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). FEV1.0 and Vo2max have improved after LVRS by 35.2% and 23.8%, respectively. Preoperatively, 75% of patients were underweight (% ideal body weight (%IBW) <90) with the mean %IBW at 84.5%. BW, CI, and FFM increased significantly after LVRS, whereas FM was unchanged. The change in BW correlated significantly with the change in FEV1.0, MVV, and Vo2max (p < 0.01) but not with CI. Bilateral LVRS results in an increase in FFM and functional improvement for underweight patients with severe emphysema, and it may contribute to the improvement in maximal exercise capacity.

Swan-Ganz catheter-induced pseudoaneurysm of the pulmonary artery.

Pseudoaneurysm of the pulmonary artery (PA) induced by Swan-Ganz catheter injury is an important complication with high mortality. We report a case of PA pseudoaneurysm treated by PA repair. A 52-year-old woman developing infiltrate in the right lung field in chest radiography after a second mitral valve replacement was diagnosed with PA pseudoaneurysm confirmed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography and pulmonary angiography. The cause was considered Swan-Ganz catheter injury. The patient was carefully observed because there was no evidence of bronchial hemorrhage. The perforation was closed and the cavity plicated under extracorporeal circulation to avoid delayed rupture of the pseudoaneurysm when she underwent a third mitral valve replacement.

Pheochromocytoma of the posterior mediastinum undiagnosed until the onset of intraoperative hypertension

An asymptomatic 42-year-old man was diagnosed with a posterior mediastinal mass, most likely a nonfunctioning, benign, neurogenic tumor for which thoracoscopic surgery was initially indicated. However, the systemic blood pressure rapidly increased to a critical level immediately after starting the surgical manipulation of the tumor, which was suggestive of a hyperfunctioning pheochromocytoma. The tumor was removed after controlling the blood pressure and was histologically diagnosed as a pheochromocytoma. The patient had an uneventful course, and the tumor was proven to be sporadic through further postoperative investigations. The possibility of extraadrenal pheochromocytoma should be considered in the preoperative diagnosis of an intrathoracic paraaortic tumor, even in an asymptomatic patient.

Ectopic cervico-mediastinal thymoma confirmed by flow cytometric analysis of tumor-derived lymphocytes

Ectopic cervical or cervico-mediastinal thymomas are very rare and most of them are asymptomatic, except for the presence of a cervical mass. We present the case of a 71-year-old man with an ectopic cervico-mediastinal thymoma threatening superior vena cava syndrome. He had a slight headache and presented with venous dilatation on the chest wall. A computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the chest demonstrated a mass extending from the right neck to the hilum, that indented the trachea and compressed and displaced the brachiocephalic veins anteriorly. Under a right hemicollar incision and median sternotomy, the mass was resected en bloc together with the thymus. The resected specimen was an encapsulated mass measuring 11x7x4 cm. The pathological diagnosis was type AB, non-invasive thymoma, confirmed by 3-color flow cytometry of tumor-derived lymphocytes. Flow cytometry using biopsy material may contribute to the preoperative diagnosis of ectopic thymoma.

Surgical intervention without lung resection for Pryce type I sequestration.

Anomalous systemic arterial supply to normal basal segments of the lower lobe is a rare congenital anomaly. Resection of the affected lung with ligation of the anomalous artery is commonly performed in these patients. We report a case of this anomaly treated surgically with interruption of the anomalous artery after placing a Hem-o-Lok vascular clip. Interruption of the anomalous artery using this vascular clip was easy and safe, and the thoracoscopic approach was minimally invasive. The patient’s recovery was uneventful and he was doing well without recurrence 4 years after the operation.

A new minimally invasive technique of combined chest wall resection for lung cancer

We describe our technique of minimally invasive chest wall resection for primary lung cancer. We used this technique to perform two lobectomies combined with chest wall resection using thoracoscopic assistance. The intercostal muscles and vessels were divided using a vessel-sealing device, which was easy to maneuver through the access incision, achieving reliable hemostasis. In one patient, adding the utility port just over the dorsal edge of the chest wall proved useful for dissecting the distal area of the chest wall. This approach required only minimal incision without cutting the uninvolved extrathoracic musculature of the chest.

Primary intrathoracic malignant neurogenic tumor: report of three cases and comparison with benign neurogenic tumors resected at our institution

We present three patients with intrathoracic malignant neurogenic tumor. Two lesions showed no sign of invasion into adjacent structures, while the third lesion extended to the intraspinal canal with vertebral involvement. Although all three lesions were completely excised, each patient relapsed within 1 year of the initial treatment. One patient with local recurrence underwent radiation therapy, but the recurrent tumor continued to progress. Chemotherapy was subsequently performed. Two patients with distant metastases also received chemotherapy. Because there is no effective chemotherapeutic regimen for intrathoracic malignant neurogenic tumor, all three patients received high-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Although the relapsed lesions temporarily regressed after treatment, all three patients showed disease recrudescence and ultimately died of their disease. A comparison of the intrathoracic malignant neurogenic tumors and the benign neurogenic tumors resected at our institution revealed no meaningful differences distinguishing malignant from benign neurogenic tumors prior to surgery.

Lung volume reduction surgery and nutritional status in patients with severe emphysema

OBJECTIVE We studied the short-term effect of lung volume reduction surgery on nutritional status including body composition and the relationship between preoperative nutritional status and postoperative morbidity. METHODS Subjects were 28 patients with emphysema who underwent bilateral thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery (23 simultaneously, 5 staged). Functional tests, body weight, and body composition were measured before and 6 months after surgery. Fat-free mass and fat mass were assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. RESULTS FEV1.0 improved 35.2% following surgery and maximal oxygen uptake 23.8%. Body weight and fat-free mass increased significantly after surgery, while fat mass was unchanged. Of the 23 undergoing simultaneous bilateral lung volume reduction surgery, 8 had major complications-3 required additional surgery to close air leaks, 3 required mechanical ventilation (> 72 hrs), and 2 developed postoperative infection. The preoperative percentage of ideal body weight and fat-free mass was significantly higher among patients without major complications. CONCLUSIONS Bilateral lung volume reduction surgery increases fat-free mass and provides functional improvement for underweight patients with severe emphysema. We found fat-free mass and body weight to be good predictors of unacceptable postoperative complications following bilateral lung volume reduction surgery.

Histological Grade: Analysis of Prognosis of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer After Complete Resection

Background/Aim: Although the 2015 World Health Organization Classification reported that histological grading may be helpful in lung cancer management, a widely accepted histological grading system with clearly defined criteria and demonstrable clinical significance has not been developed. We investigated the prognoses of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to identify prognostic factors, especially histological grade. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 531 patients between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS) curve was plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) with endpoint of OS. Results: The 5-year OS rate in groups with histological grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3+4 groups was 95.8%, 85.7%, and 72.1%, respectively (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified histological grade and vascular invasion as independent predictors of OS [histological grade: HR=1.533, p=0.002]. Conclusion: Histological grade was an independent prognostic factor of patients resected for all stages of NSCLC.