Search

Background: Prolonged air leak (PAL) is a frequent complication after lung resection surgery and has a high clinical and economic impact. A useful risk predictor model can help recognize those patients who might benefit from additional preventive procedures. Currently, no risk model has sufficient discriminatory capacity to be used in common clinical practice. The aim of this study is to identify predictive risk factors for PAL after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) anatomical resections in the Italian VATS group database and to evaluate their clinical and statistical performance., Methods: We processed data collected in the second edition of the Italian VATS group registry. It includes patients that underwent a thoracoscopic anatomical resection for benign or malignant diseases, between November 2015 and December 2020. We used recursive feature elimination (RFE), using a backward selection process, to find the optimal combination of predictors. The study population was randomly split based on the outcome into a derivation (80%) and an internal validation cohort (20%). Discrimination of the model was measured using the area under the curve, or C-statistic. Calibration was displayed using a calibration plot and was measured using Emax and Eavg, the maximum and the average difference in predicted versus loess calibrated probabilities., Results: A cohort of 6,236 patients was eligible for the study after application of the exclusion criteria. Five-day PAL rate in this patient cohort was 11.3%. For the construction of our predictive model, we used both preoperative and intraoperative variables, with a total of 320 variables. The presence of variables with missing values greater than 5% led to 120 remaining predictors. RFE algorithm recommended 8 features for the model that are relevant in predicting the target variable., Conclusions: We confirmed significant prognostic risk factors for the prediction of PAL: decreased DLCO/VA ratio, longer duration of surgery, male sex, the need for adhesiolysis, COPD, and right side. We identified middle lobe resections and ground glass opacity as protective factors. After internal validation, a C statistic of 0.63 was revealed, which is too low to generate a reliable score in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-21-1484/coif). The special series “Prolonged Air Leak after Lung Surgery: Prediction, Prevention and Management” was sponsored by Bard Limited. Bard Limited has no interference on the contents of the special series. RC and FZ served as the unpaid Guest Editors of the series. LB serves as an unpaid editorial board member of the Journal of Thoracic Disease. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Background: Persistent air leak and the management of intraoperative blood loss are common threats in thoracic surgical practice. The availability of new procedures, technology and materials is constantly evolving topical hemostats and surgical sealants must be added to this toolkit. Topical hemostats and surgical sealants differ according to their chemical nature and physical characteristics, to their origin and mechanism of action, regulatory/registration and vigilance paths. A Delphi consensus was set to highlight the different points of view on the use of topical haemostatic products and sealants among the members of Italian Society of thoracic surgery., Methods: The board was formed by a group of five Italian experts; in the first phase after a careful review of the scientific literature and two rounds, the board finally generated 16 consensus statements for testing across a wider audience. During the second phase, the statements were collated into a questionnaire, which was electronically sent to a panel of 46 Italian surgeons, experts in the field., Results: Out of 46 Italian surgeons, 33 (72%) panel members responded to the Delphi questionnaire. All the items reached a positive consensus, with elevated levels of agreement, as demonstrated by the presence of a 100% consensus for nine items. For the remaining 7 statements the minimum level of consent was 88% (29 participants approved the statement and 4 disagreed) and the maximum was 97% (32 participants approved the statement and 1 was in disagreement)., Conclusions: The present Delphi analysis shows that air leak and intraoperative bleeding are clinical problems well known among thoracic surgeons. Nevertheless, the aim of the scientific societies and of the group of experts is to execute the education activities in the surgery community. This Delphi survey suggest the need of wider and updated scientific information about technical and registration characteristics of most recent technologic solutions, such as the of topical hemostats and surgical sealants to provide healthcare and administrative staff with the opportunity to work and interact through a common and shared language and eventually to guarantee minimal requirements of assistance., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-22-619/coif). PC serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Journal of Thoracic Disease from November 2020 to October 2022. GM serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Journal of Thoracic Disease from February 2021 to January 2023. LV serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Journal of Thoracic Disease from October 2022 to September 2024. GC participated on an Advisory Board supported by BD in the past 36 months. MN participated on an Advisory Board supported by Bard Limited in the past 36 months. MS received honoraria by J&J, Medtronic and Medela for speakers fee, and participated on an Advisory Board supported by BD, and he was a member of ESTS board of directors in the past 36 months. MT participated on an Advisory Board supported by BD in the past 36 months. GC is an unpaid member of the Oncologic network of Sicilian Region in the past 36 months. AI is an unpaid member of Editorial Board of the “Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease” and unpaid member of Editorial Board of the Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery in the past 36 months. GLP is an unpaid Councillor of the Italian Thoracic Surgery Society from 2021 to 2023 and an unpaid Scientific Coordinator Pulmonary Nodule Recommendations Group PNR of Italian Thoracic Surgery Society from 2021 to 2023. RC participated on an Advisory Board supported by BD in the past 36 months. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Surgery is the gold standard treatment of lung cancer. The minimally invasive technique does not only concern access to the chest but also the limits of parenchymal resection. The study debates on the safety and oncological adequacy of sublobar resections in bronchogenic carcinoma patients. A systematic analysis of the data in the literature was carried out, comparing the outcomes of patients with resectable non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent lobectomy or sublobar resection. These last interventions include both segmentectomies and wedge resections taking into consideration the following parameters: complications, relapse rate and overall survival. The complication rate is higher in patients underwent lobectomy compared to sublobar resection, especially in presence of high comorbidity index or octogenarian patients (overall values respectively between 0 and 48% and 0 and 46.6%). Contrarily, the relapse rate (6.2% to 32% vs. 3.6% to 53.4%) and overall survival (50.2% to 93.8% vs. 38.6% to 100%) are more favorable in patients undergoing lobectomy. Sublobar resections are particularly indicated in elderly patients and in patients with high comorbidity index or reduced respiratory functional reserve. However, pulmonary lobectomy still remains the safest and oncologically correct method in patients with good performance status or higher risk of recurrence., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2020.02.54). The series “Early Stage Lung Cancer: Sublobar Resections are a Choice?” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Background: Median sternotomy is still the approach of choice for heart surgery and the most common sternal closure is conventional six-wire technique. Mediastinitis is the frightening complication of the median sternotomy and occurs from 1% up to 2.4% of cases with a mortality rate which ranges from 14% up to 47%. Many methods have been suggested to reinforce the sternum with the common goal to improve sternal stability and prevent mediastinitis, but there is not consensus among cardiac surgeons on the optimal way to close the sternum. For this reason, we report our experience with a sternal device that, although not entirely new as a concept, has new technical features and plays a new role in preventing sternal dehiscence, according to the most recent findings on mechanism which leads to sternal dehiscence., Methods: We enrolled 62 high risk patients for sternal dehiscence (patients with 2 well established historical risk factors), and we closed the sternum of the patients with a new surgical option consisting of passing, in a conventional six-wire sternal closure, the last sixth steel wire (Ø 1.0 mm, n° 5) through a couple of titanium cannulated screws (Ø 5.5 mm, self-tap-ping with a length from 10 to 16 mm and 2-mm increments) inserted into the 5th or 6th couple of rib cartilages., Results: Primary chest closure with cannulated screws was performed on 48 males and 14 females. The average age of patients was 67.6 years (range, 43-88 years). The average follow-up was 12.8±16.2 months (range, 1-41 months). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the most common preoperative risk factor. The average number of risk factors was 2.4 (range, 2-4). Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was the most common cardiac procedure. There were no peri-operative deaths. BMI >30 Kg/m 2 and diabetes were the associated of risk factors predisposing to superficial skin dehiscence., Conclusions: In our clinical experience with high risk patients, this surgical option suggests that there is evidence of an effective stabilization of standard sternal closure and this option seems a promising technique to prevent the domino effect which starts from the xifoid bone and proceeds to the manubrium with the effect of leading to sternal instability which is the first step to mediastinitis., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2019 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Data collection has gained a great importance in numerous areas in the last years and also in the medical field. Collecting data is the key to knowledge and consequently improving data quality is fundamental, as the results of the data analysis can have a large impact on the clinical practice., Methods: Collected data can be employed to assess the performance of surgeons or institutions and to implement hospital´s performance and productivity. The chest wall database is one of the satellites composing the European Society of Thoracic Surgery (ESTS) database and includes data on risk factors, surgical techniques, processes of care and outcomes related to chest wall pathologies. The participation to the registry is free and voluntary for the ESTS members. The ESTS chest wall database includes data on risk factors, surgical techniques, processes of care and outcomes related to chest wall pathologies. The collected data are designed for quality control and performance audit. Acquired data are anonymous, independently accessed and encrypted on a Dendrite platform, which provides data security and regular backups. The registry is managed by an external company (KData Clinicak Srl), which works together with the database committee in revising and updating periodically the database., Results: The ESTS chest wall database is structured in four main sections: preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative and follow up. For each procedure registered in the database are collected a number of different variables regarding the patients' characteristics, the surgical technique, the postoperative course until the discharge and also follow up data. Correction of pectus excavatum is the most common procedures registered in 2017 (392 patients, 67% of all data), followed by pectus bar removal (159 patients, 27% of all procedures)., Conclusions: The ESTS chest wall database is an ambitious European project, which aims to standardize all chest wall procedures in all their aspects., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: In the setting of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET/CT) is considered a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool though false positive (FP) and false negative (FN) results affects accuracy due to different conditions, such as inflammatory diseases or low-uptake neoplasms. Aim of this study is to evaluate overall diagnostic performance of 18 F-FDG-PET/CT for malignant pulmonary nodules., Methods: A computerized research, including published articles from 2012 and 2017, was carried out. 18 F-FDG-PET/CT overall sensitivity (Se), specificity (Spe), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), diagnostic index and odds ratio were pooled. No selection-bias were found according to asymmetry test., Results: A total of twelve studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled Se, Spe, PLR, NLR, PPV, NPV and accuracy index (AI) with relative 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.819 (95% CI: 0.794-0.843), 0.624 (95% CI: 0.582-0.665), 2.190 (95% CI: 1.950-2.440), 0.290 (95% CI: 0.250-0.330), 0.802 (95% CI: 0.783-0.819), 0.652 (95% CI: 0.618-0.684) and 0.649 (95% CI: 0.625-0.673), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 7.049 with a relative 95% CI between 5.550 and 8.944., Conclusions: The results suggest 18 F-FDG-PET/CT has good diagnostic accuracy in SPNs evaluation; but, it should not be considered as a discriminatory test rather than a method to be included in a clinical and diagnostic pathway., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

In the setting of a stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), oligometastatic patients represent a heterogeneous group whose incidence is increasing as far as with the adoption of new therapeutic regimens, the improvement of the molecular characterization assays and the increasing number of long-survivor patients. The oligometastatic state undergone a major revision with the introduction of the new TNM lung cancer staging system, being characterized by a different prognosis compared to multi-metastatic patients. Furthermore, the presence of a limited number of metastases imposes a local control especially when clonal selections occur during adjuvant therapy. In this regard, the review seeks to clarify the indications for surgical treatment by organ according to recent guidelines, by analyzing prognostic factors and outcome of patients. Although accurate patient stratification is mandatory, aggressive local control strategies represent a valid therapeutic approach in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. At the same time, persevering with ablative strategies raises both medical and ethical issues about limits and reiteration, which certainly requires a deep reflection, being, on the other hand, in front of a metastatic disease., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

The vast majority of lung cancer (80%) are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presenting in huge proportion of patients in a metastatic stage at the time of diagnosis with an overall survival (OS) of only 6 months. Standard treatment at this stage involves systemic platinum based chemotherapy improving the OS for only few months. For the vast majority of patients disease progression occurs and cure cannot achieved. An exception to this general rule is represented by patients with a limited number of metastasis (approximately 7% of patients with metastatic NSCLC): in 1995 Hellman and Weichselbaum introduced the term "oligometastatic" for a selected group of patients with metastatic disease. Several retrospective studies have been published and documented an improved outcome in patients managed surgically. The purpose of this narrative review is to gather all relevant information and present the various clinicopathological and generic aspects of diagnosis, management strategies and prognostic factors in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. The key for long term survival includes radical treatment of the primary NSCLC, single organ site with either synchronous or metachronous presentation, a disease free interval to be as long as possible and the absence of intrathoracic lymph node spread (N0). A more accurate staging with combination of FDG-PET and CT scan can have on impact on the survival rates due to an increased accuracy in mediastinal staging and in the diagnosis of distant metastasis. No randomized data but only retrospective series are available to date to address this topic: in the future, additional prospective studies will be necessary to provide robust evidence to support the surgical resection as treatment of oligometastatic NSCLC., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Lung cancer is one of the most frequent neoplastic diseases. To date, most lung cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, making it difficult to choose the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. Surgical resection represents the best therapeutic solution. However, the best results are obtained only in the early stages of the disease. Lymph node involvement conditions the treatment (surgical or non-surgical approach). Mediastinoscopy is an effective and widely used method for mediastinal staging but does not allow us to reach many mediastinal lymph nodes. Endobronchial ultrasound/transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) allows us to reach more lymph nodes and is referred to as a first-choice exam for mediastinal staging., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS ® ) is a strategy that seeks to reduce patients' perioperative stress response, thereby reducing potential complications, decreasing hospital length of stay and enabling patients to return more quickly to their baseline functional status. The concept was introduced in the late 1990s and was first adopted in patients undergoing open colorectal surgery. Since then, the concept of ERAS has been adopted by multiple surgical specialties. The diffusion of video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy (VATS-L) sets also the surgical treatment of lung cancer as a new area for ERAS development. In this paper, we present the Italian VATS Group (www.vatsgroup.org) surgical protocol as part of the ERAS clinical pathway belonging to the VATS-L national database., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has recently been adopted as the gold standard surgical option for the treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is being progressively adopted in thoracic surgery to improve the postoperative outcomes. Even if the benefits of ERAS are universally accepted, to date a standardized and uniform approach has not been described in the medical literature. The Italian VATS group has recently proposed to include in the VATS lobectomy database a structured protocol for ERAS., Methods: The ERAS section of the Italian VATS group is proposing a comprehensive ERAS protocol within the VATS lobectomy database, allowing the prospective collection of a dedicated set of data. Separate sections of the protocol are dedicated to different topics of ERAS. This study is specifically dedicated to the section of physiokinesis therapy. The medical literature will be extensively reviewed and a physiotherapy (PT) protocol of ERAS will be presented and discussed. A seta of structured clinical pathways will also be suggested for adoption in the VATS Group database., Discussion: Pre- and post-operative adoption of an ERAS protocol in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy may promote an improved post-operative course, a shorter hospital stay and an overall more comfortable patients' experience. The mainstays of a physiokinesis therapy ERAS protocol are patients' education, constant physical and respiratory therapy sessions, and adoption of adequate devices. Although many studies have investigated the usefulness of physical and respiratory physiokinesis therapy, a comprehensive ERAS protocol for VATS lobectomy patients has not yet been described. The proposed ERAS platform, adopted by the VATS Group database, will contribute to a prospective data collection and allow a scientific analysis of the results., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is the most advanced evolution of the minimally invasive technique, which allows often the possibility to include patients in enhanced recovery programs in order to optimize the therapeutic pathway, shorten the length of stay and reduce hospital costs. Non-intubated VATS procedures allow the performance of surgeries with minimal sedation without general anesthesia, maintaining throughout the operation spontaneous breathing. The principle is to create an iatrogenic spontaneous pneumothorax, which can provide a good lung isolation without the need of a double lumen tube. A survey between the members of the European Society of Thoracic Surgery (ESTS) showed that non-intubated VATS procedures are already performed by a large number of ESTS members for minor procedures. With the publication of new data and the spreading of uniportal VATS in many centers worldwide in the last decades, the application of the non-intubated technique in major procedure like anatomic resections is expected to grow. This technique can potentially be beneficial for high-risk patients but also could be used for the routine procedures as well, but more data are needed to establish the real benefit for these groups of patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Senior surgeons who completed their formal surgical training before the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy era have had more experience with lobectomy via thoracotomy while their thoracoscopic training background contrasts from younger surgeons. However, this does not seem to have an unfavourable effect on their performance. Despite the literature recognising the critical points of influence of the learning curve for resident surgeons, limited data are focusing on the incremental performance of VATS lobectomy by senior surgeons. The Very Experienced Time-honoUred Surgeons (VETUS) project aims to understand this trend in the VATS group and to introduce an approach to the VATS lobectomy involving senior surgeon. The VETUS project is based on a self-assessment program where the senior surgeon (independently and in complete anonymity) follows a 1-year approach to training in VATS lobectomy. At predefined time intervals, the surgeon will be called to evaluate his performance according to a number of variables such as the choice of VATS lobectomy indications, the number of the port used and length of utility incision, time spent in dissecting the hilar structures and the overall percentage of VATS lobectomy performed in 1 year compared to open. The self-assessment of the VETUS project is a unique opportunity to define the path of a systematic approach to training outside the traditional modalities with the ultimate aim of supporting quality of standardised VATS lobectomy throughout the country., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Mediastinal staging is a crucial moment in management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. In integrated pathways, 18-fluorine fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET/CT) is an indispensable imaging resource with its peculiarities and its limitations. A critical review of work up protocols would certainly help to standardize procedures with important reflections also on the diagnostic value of this examination. In this regard, new semi-quantitative and semi-qualitative indexes have been proposed with the aim of increasing the accuracy of 18 F-FDG-PET/CT in mediastinal lymph node staging. These latter, such as SUV n/t and SUV indexes, seem to overcome the problem of spatial resolution and discrimination of malignancy by endorsing a new predictive and prognostic role., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of Interest to declare.

Background: The expertise curve of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomies still stirs debate and controversy both because of the number of procedures to carry out and of the evaluation of the learning threshold. The purpose of our study was the examination of the variables related to the learning curve of the video-assisted approach, to establish what may be an expression of the technical maturity of the surgeon., Methods: The National Register for VATS lobectomy built in 2013 was used to collect data from 65 Thoracic Surgery Units. Out of more than 3,700 patients enrolled, only information from Units with ≥100 VATS lobectomies were retrospectively analysed. Unpaired Student's t -tests, Fisher's exact tests, Pearson's χ 2 were applied as needed. Cumulative summative analysis and one-way ANOVA were used to identify the expertise curve of VATS lobectomy., Results: Ten institutions contributed a total of 1,679 patients, who were divided into three uniform groups according to the chronological sequence of surgery. The length of utility incision, the number of dissected lymph nodes and the operative time were not statistically significant (P=0.999, P=0.972 and P=0.307, respectively) among groups. Conversion to thoracotomy and postoperative air leaks occurred in 125 (7.44%) and 109 (6.49%) patients, gradually declined in Group 3 with statistical significance (P=0.048 and P=0.00086)., Conclusions: The conversion rate and the percentage of air leaks seem to define the expertise of VATS lobectomy, being linked to the ability to manage more complicated surgical cases or intraoperative adverse events., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

We standardised a Ventilation Mechanical Test (VMT) after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy that classifies intraoperative alveolar air leaks (IOAALs) in mild, moderate and severe. We assumed that mild IOAALs (<100 mL/min) are self-limiting, whereas severe IOAALs (>400 mL/min) must be treated. An IOAAL between 100 and 400 mL/min was defined moderate and constituted the study population of a prospective multicentre randomised trial on the use of a polymeric biodegradable sealant (Progel TM Pleural Air Leak Sealant, Bard Davol, USA) in case of moderate IOAAL compared with no treatment. We assumed that the standardised VMT allows to accurately selected patients needing treatment, thus limiting unnecessary sealant use. We analysed data of the randomised trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of Progel treatment in VMT selected patients. This is a multicenter randomised controlled trial. Patients with moderate IOAAL were randomised to Progel (group A) or "no treatment" (group B).The primary efficacy endpoint of the study was the postoperative duration of air leakage. The secondary outcome measures included: mean time to chest drain removal, mean length of hospitalisation, the percentage of postoperative complications occurring within two months, and cost of treatment. Between January 2015 and January 2017, 255 VATS lobectomies were performed in 4 centres, 55 met the inclusion criteria, and they were randomly assigned to 2 different groups (28 in the Progel and 27 in the control group). The mean air leakage duration was statistically different between the two groups: in the group A was 1.60 vs. 5.04 days in group B (P<0.001). The average duration of chest drainage was statistically shorter in group A than in the control group (4.1 vs. 6.74 days; P=0.008). The mean time to hospital discharge was also statistically shorter in group A than in group B (5.75 vs. 7.85 days, P=0.026). In the Progel group, a statistically significant reduction of hospitalisation costs compared with the control group was observed (Progel group =12,905₤, Control group =39,690₤; P<0.001). Our standardised VMT helps in reducing the length of hospital stay after VATS lobectomy because in case of IOAALs between 100 and 400 mL/min the use of ProgelTM significantly reduces postoperative air leak, time to drain removal and length of hospitalisation compared with no treatment. This shorter hospital stays results in significant cost saving benefits. Selection of patients with standardised VMT is essential to limit unnecessary intraoperative sealant treatments, thus contributing to limit the costs., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Intraoperative alveolar air leak (IOAAL) is one of most common complications after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. The study aimed to evaluate if, in moderate IOAAL, intraoperative polymeric biodegradable sealant (Progel TM ) reduced postoperative air leak (PAL) and consequently was cost-effective., Methods: Patients with moderate IOAAL were randomised in a multicentre trial to intraoperative use of a sealant (Sealant group) or standard management of air leaks (Control group). Primary endpoint was the postoperative duration of air leakage. Secondary outcomes included: time to drainage removal, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications within 2 months, and cost analysis., Results: Between January 2015 and January 2017, 255 VATS lobectomies were performed in four centres. Fifty-five met inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to Sealant group [28] and Control group [27]. The mean air leakage duration was statistically different between groups (Sealant group =1.60 days, Control group =5.04 days; P<0.001). The average length of drainage was significantly (P=0.008) shorter in Sealant group (4.1 days) than in Controls (6.74 days). The mean time of hospital stay was statistically shorter in sealant group (Sealant =5.75 days, Control =7.85 days; P=0.026). Sealant group observed a statistically significant reduction of costs., Conclusions: In moderate IOAAL after VATS lobectomy, polymeric biodegradable sealants are safe and efficient. Compared with standard treatments, sealant significantly reduces PAL, time to drain removal and length of hospital stay resulting in significant costs benefits., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS-L) is a well-established approach for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with functional and oncological outcomes similar to thoracotomy. The role of VATS-L in locally advanced stage of NSCLC has not been well standardized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the state of the art in Italy of VATS-L for NSCLC advanced stages using the data from the Italian VATS Group Database., Methods: Between 1st January 2014 and 31th May 2017, 3,720 patients underwent VATS-L at VATS Group participating centres and included in the VATS Group database. Patients were divided into two groups: (A) early stages and (B) locally-advanced stages (tumours with dimension >5 cm (cT2b), cT3, cT4 and/or tumours that received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy). A retrospective study was performed, to evaluate the safety and the oncological adequacy of VATS-L comparing peri-operative outcomes and pathological data., Results: A total of 3,266 (87.7%) patients were included into the group A, while 454 (13.3%) patients formed the group B. VATS-L for locally advanced-stage NSCLC is associated with a longer procedure, a higher estimated blood loss, an increased incidence of conversion (9.3% vs. 13.0%, P=0.018) and a significant higher number of total, hilar and mediastinal dissected lymph nodes. The mortality rate (1.6% vs. 1.5%), the proportion of patients who suffered any complication (24.8% vs. 29.1%) and the hospitalization were not statistically different between the two groups (P=0.880, 0.057 and 0.660, respectively); the overall complication rate was statistically higher in group B (30.4% vs. 37.0%; P=0.04). Patients of group B who required conversion had a statistically significantly higher operative time (P<0.01), blood loss (P<0.01) and hospital stay (P<0.01), but not significantly higher overall morbidity rate (35.5% vs. 28.0%) compared with patients completely operated by VATS., Conclusions: VATS-L for locally advanced-stage NSCLC in Italy is a safe and effective procedure when performed in appropriately selected patients, ensuring peri-operative results similar to those obtained in early-stage tumours., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VAT) procedures are emerging for treatment of both benign and malignant thoracic diseases and substituting classical approaches, such as thoracotomies, thanks to several advantages concerning postoperative morbidity rates and overall patients' outcome (i.e., postoperative pain, chronic pain and quality of life). However, a VAT approach needs an established learning curve making procedures as safe as in open surgery. With regard of trainee surgeons, notwithstanding an increasing number of learning tools and strategies, such as simulation programs (i.e., black-boxes, wet labs, cadaver or animal labs, 3D virtual reality simulators) and direct observation both of live surgery and videos with a supportive evidence base from benchtop studies, there remains inconsistent adoption in surgical educations., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.06.12.].

Background: Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) increased detection of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), changing the management based on radiological and clinical factors. When 18-fluorine fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET/CT) was considered for the evaluation of nodules, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) more than 2.5 is used frequently as a cut off for malignancy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate SUVmax PET/CT and pulmonary attenuation patterns at MSCT in patients with SPN according to morphological and pathological characteristics of the lesion., Methods: A retrospective study on 1,592 SPN patients was carried out following approval by the Italian Registry of VATS Lobectomies., Results: All patients underwent VATS lobectomy. On histologic examination, 98.1% had primary or second metachronous primary lung cancers. In addition, 10.7% presented occult lymph node metastases (pN1 or pN2) on histological examination. Nodule attenuation on CT was associated with the histology of the lesion (p= 0.030); in particular, pure ground glass opacities (pGGOs) and partially solid nodules were related to adenocarcinomatous histotypes. Conversely, a significant relationship between SUVmax and age, nodule size, pathological node status (pN) was found (P=0.007, P=0.000 and P=0.002 respectively)., Conclusions: Nodule attenuation can predict the histology of the lesion whereas SUVmax may relate to the propensity to lymph node metastases., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: VATS lobectomy is an established option for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC. Complete lymph node dissection (CD), systematic sampling (SS) or resecting a specific number of lymph nodes (LNs) and stations are possible intra-operative LN management strategies., Methods: All VATS lobectomies from the "Italian VATS Group" prospective database were retrospectively reviewed. The type of surgical approach (CD or SS), number of LN resected (RN), the positive/resected LN ratio (LNR) and the number and types of positive LN stations were recorded. The rates of nodal upstaging were assessed based on different LN management strategies., Results: CD was the most frequent approach (72.3%). Nodal upstaging rates were 6.03% (N0-to-N1), 5.45% (N0-to-N2), and 0.58% (N1-to-N2). There was no difference in N1 or N2 upstaging rates between CD and SS. The number of resected nodes was correlated with both N1 (OR =1.02; CI, 1.01-1.04; P=0.03) and N2 (OR =1.02; CI, 1.01-1.05; P=0.001) upstaging. Resecting 12 nodes had the best ability to predict upstaging (6 N1 LN or 7 N2 LN). The finding of two positive LN stations best predicted N2 upstaging [area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) =0.98]., Conclusions: Nodal upstaging (and, indirectly, the effectiveness of intra-operative nodal management) cannot be predicted based on the surgical technique (CD or SS). A quantitative assessment of intra-operative LN management may be a more appropriate and measurable approach to justify the extension of LN resection during VATS lobectomy., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) allows to treat pulmonary and mediastinal diseases although two-dimensional (2D) imaging can make difficult to estimate the morphological and topographical characteristics of a lesion. Some technical aspects have certainly been corrected with the introduction of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), although not widespread in less economically developed countries. As an emerging imaging system and technique, 3D VATS is an interesting resource for thoracic surgeons and it may be a proper and valid aid in minimally-invasive surgery, but not an alternative or a compromise to the most expensive robotic technology. The purpose of the study was to carefully analyze the different experiences reported in literature in order to evaluate the state of art of 3D VATS method in lung excision., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.