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Objective New flex‐rigid pleuroscope enables observations with a maximum angle of curvature of 180°, allowing visualization of the area near the insertion site of the pleuroscope. And, it improved the image quality and channel inner diameter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of a new flex‐rigid pleuroscope. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who were examined with a new flex‐rigid pleuroscope under local anesthesia at our institution was conducted. Pleuroscopy was performed in 33 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions from December 2016 to March 2019. Results A total of 33 patients (10 women, 23 men); their median age 74 years (range 24‐90) were investigated. Pleuroscopy showed that 18 had malignant pleural disease (54%), and 15 had benign pleural diseases (46%). The top three most frequent causes of pleural disease were pleural metastases of lung carcinoma (30.3%), pyothorax (15.1%), and malignant pleural mesothelioma (12.1%). In 32 cases (97%), observation at the introducer insertion site was possible. It was not possible in one case due to hard adhesions. The diagnostic rate was 100%, and the complication rate was 6.1%. There were no major complications, and minor complications included mild pain (one case) and minor bleeding (one case) that was stanched spontaneously. Conclusions The new flex‐rigid pleuroscope is effective and safe for diagnosing pleural effusions. The improved bending angle is likely to minimize the blind area. The new pleuroscopy fiberscope may improve the diagnostic rate.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the operation for type III esophageal atresia using a thoracoscope. Methods The clinical data for 92 patients with type III esophageal atresia in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 49 patients in group A who underwent thoracoscopic surgery and 43 patients in group B who underwent conventional surgery. Results The mechanical ventilation time (55.7 ± 11.4 h vs 75.6 ± 19.2 h), intensive care time (3.6 ± 1.8d vs 4.7 ± 2.0d), postoperative hospitalization time (13.1 ± 2.2d vs 16.8 ± 4.3d), thoracic drainage volume (62.7 ± 25.5 ml vs 125.4 ± 46.1 ml), blood transfusion volume (30.5 ± 10.4 ml vs 55.3 ± 22.7 ml) and surgical incision length (2.0 ± 0.5 cm vs 8.0 ± 1.8 cm) in group A were lower than those in group B, and the differences were statistically significant (P P P > 0.05), and there were no complications such as achalasia signs and esophageal diverticulum in either group. Conclusion Surgery for type III esophageal atresia via thoracoscopy has the same safety and clinical effectiveness as traditional surgery and has the advantages of smaller incision and chest wall deformity.

Background: Although classical multi-port video-assisted thoracic surgery has been widely performed, single-incision thoracoscopic surgery (SITS) is a popular surgical technique for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, the inconvenient alignment of instruments and the limited field of view occasionally make surgeons convert from SITS to multi-port surgery or extend the incision. This study aimed to present an easy and safe SITS technique for PSP using a spinal needle. Methods: In total, 139 patients underwent SITS between May 2011 and December 2017. We used a spinal needle to hook the bulla or bleb, and wedge resection was performed through a small incision. Patients’ medical records were reviewed retrospectively, and a telephone survey was conducted to investigate the recurrence rate. Results: The mean age of the 139 patients was 23.62±9.60 years. The mean operative time was 36.69±14.64 minutes, and multi-port conversion was not performed. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.00±0.78 days, and the mean indwelling chest tube duration was 1.97±0.77 days. No complications were observed. In the mean follow-up period of 86.75±23.20 months, recurrence of pneumothorax was found in 3 patients. Conclusion: We suggest that SITS for PSP with the aid of a spinal needle to replace a grasper is a safe and easy technique that only requires a small incision.

A 27-year-old women was referred to our hospital because of abnormal subpleural nodule in her right thoracic cavity. Chest computed tomography demonstrated an 11 mm nodule with smooth and clear boundary adjacent to the right first rib. Chest magnetic resonance imaging revealed an iso-intensity area on T1-weighted images, a high-intensity on T2-weighted images, and enhanced homogeneously on contrast-enhanced images. Tumor extirpation was performed using a 2.7 mm grasp fine needlescopic forceps, a 3 mm thoracoscope and a 5 mm vascular sealing device. The histological diagnosis was cavernous hemangioma. Thoracoscopic surgery using fine needlescopic forceps and thin thoracoscope is useful in considering esthetic purposes.

We report on an 81-year-old male patient in whom chest computed tomography during follow-up for extramammary Paget's disease revealed a nodule in the right thoracic cavity. Because he had been taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis, the possibility of methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative lung disease was considered and methotrexate was discontinued as a precaution. No calcification was found inside the nodule, and there was no change in its size or position for 6 months. The patient had a history of malignant tumor, so thoracoscopic surgery was performed for diagnostic purposes. A free white nodule was found in the right thoracic cavity and was subsequently removed. The pathological diagnosis was thoracolithiasis; although the nodule had not moved since its discovery, movement was suspected to have occurred 3 years prior. Although thoracolithiasis is rare, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis for nodules at the end of the lung field and on the diaphragm.

Medical thoracoscopy (semi-rigid and rigid thoracoscopy) have revolutionized the management of undiagnosed pleural effusions. Though semi-rigid thoracoscopy has a good diagnostic yield in malignant and tubercular effusions, its role in the management of a complicated pleural effusions is debatable. Hence, rigid thoracoscopy becomes handy in these cases. The present study looked into the role of medical thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of pleural effusions in different conditions.This study included all patients who underwent medical thoracoscopy at our center between May-2010 and March-2020. Basic demographics data, type of medical thoracoscopy used, and histopathology details were collected and analyzed.A total of 373 patients were subjected to medical thoracoscopy (202 semi-rigid thoracoscopy and 171 rigid thoracoscopy). Out of whom 246 (66%) were males, the mean age was 51.9 ± 13.2 years. Diagnosis was achieved in 370 patients with a yield of 99.2%. The diagnostic yield in semi-rigid thoracoscopy was 99.5% with lung malignancy being the most common diagnosis (41%; n = 81), followed by tuberculosis (31%; n = 61). The diagnostic yield in rigid thoracoscopy was 100% in our study. Along with high diagnostic yield, complete drainage and lung expansion was seen in 93.5% (160 out of 171 patients) without requiring a second procedure.Semi-rigid thoracoscopy and rigid thoracoscopy should complement each other in the diagnosis of pleural effusions. Rigid thoracoscopy should be considered as the procedure of choice in a complicated pleural effusion.

Pleural effusions despite being so common, there is no much literature available regarding definite diagnosis for pleural effusions. Application of Light's criteria changed the approach to pleural effusion and till date remains a very useful step in the diagnosis of pleural effusions. Pleural fluid biochemistry and adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme levels play a significant role in the diagnosis of tubercular effusion. Studies have shown that levels of ADA are more often higher in tubercular effusion than in any other cause for it. But ADA levels can also be elevated in other types of parapneumonic effusions (PPEs), especially complicated PPEs. Hence it is difficult to distinguish a tubercular pleural effusion (TPE) from other PPEs based on pleural fluid ADA levels alone. LDH/ADA ratio as an indicator for ruling out tuberculosis was analyzed in few studies with high sensitivity and specificity. The pleural fluid cytology has a varying sensitivity, with a maximum of only 60% and it may increase with subsequent tapping. Closed pleural biopsy using a Cope or Abrams needle has a sensitivity up to 80% in cases of tuberculous effusion and 40%–73% in cases of Malignancies. Semi-rigid thoracoscopy not only allows for visualization of the pleura but also helps in procuring the biopsies under direct visualization from the abnormal looking areas. In cases of primary pleural malignancies like mesothelioma, pleurodesis can also be done in the same setting after taking the biopsy, hence reducing the number of procedures. Limitation of the semi-rigid thoracoscopy is smaller sample size and more superficial sampling of the pleura. Cryobiopsy and Electrocautery guided pleural biopsy using the IT knife are the modifications in the semi-rigid thoracoscopy to overcome the drawback of smaller sample size. While navigation band image guided pleuroscopy helps in better visualization of the vasculature of pleura during the biopsy. Management of pleural effusions has evolved over a period of time. Starting with a single criterion based on pleural fluid proteins to semi-rigid thoracoscopy. The inexhaustible research in this field suggests the desperate need for a gold standard procedure with cost effectiveness in the management of undiagnosed pleural effusions. Semi-rigid thoracoscopy has revolutionized the management of undiagnosed pleural effusions, but it has its own limitations. Various modifications have been proposed and tried to overcome the limitations to make it a cost-effective procedure.

Introduction In most of the pleural effusion, fluid analysis generally gives the etiological diagnosis but in almost 20% it remains unclear. This study was designed to determine the diagnostic yield of a pleural biopsy using semi rigid thoracoscope and its complication rates. Materials and methods This was a retrospective observational study conducted in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS Patna. All the patients diagnosed as unexplained pleural effusion between Jan 2018 and December 2019 were included in the study. Results Total 76 out of 97 patients with unexplained exudative pleural effusion underwent medical thoracoscopy in the given period of 2 years. The mean age of the patients was 57.63 years. There were 46 males and 30 females. 38 patients (50%) had right-sided pleural effusion. More than half (52.6%) of study patients were on Anti-tubercular treatment in which only 11.84% had tuberculosis. In both unilateral and bilateral pleural effusion, the proportions of small, moderate, and large size of pleural effusions were 10.52, 42.10, and 47.36%, respectively. Thoracoscopy yielded a definitive diagnosis in 66 out of 76 patients (86.84%), and in 10 patients (13.15%), biopsy was inconclusive. Of 76 patients, malignancy was confirmed in 58 (76.31%), and tuberculosis in 8 (11.84%) patients Conclusion This study concludes that, medical thoracoscopy with semi-rigid thoracoscope is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of patients with unexplained exudative pleural effusion. It is a very simple and safe method with high diagnostic yield and associated with few complications. Malignancy was found to be the most common cause of unexplained exudative pleural effusion

内科胸腔镜下胸膜活检术常用于胸膜疾病的诊断和肿瘤的分期，内镜下新型成像技术的应用使胸膜病变更易于观察。传统的内科胸腔镜下胸膜活检应用可弯曲钳夹检，获取标本小，组织结构挤压变形严重，耗时长，且部分组织获取困难。近年来，部分学者使用新的活检方式在内科胸腔镜下对胸膜病变进行活检，获得优质的病理标本。本文主要从冷冻、海博刀、IT刀及SB刀在内科胸腔镜下胸膜活检术中的应用进行综述，使临床医师了解并应用胸膜活检的新方法。.

Background: Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) has been revived with new techniques and hybrid procedures for MIDCAB and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We reviewed the midterm results of MIDCAB with a three-dimensional (3D) endoscope in our institution. Methods: Of the 359 patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from December 2013 to March 2017, 54 had MIDCAB with the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) to left anterior descending (LAD) artery through a small left thoracotomy with a 3D endoscope. The same intercostal space was used for the main surgical incision and the insertion site of the 3D endoscope. In all, 22 patients had hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR), combined PCI and MIDCAB. Results: There was no operative death. One patient had cerebral infarction without disability. No cases showed significant increases in CKMB. In all, 34 patients commenced ambulation on postoperative day 1. The postoperative hospital stay was 9.1 ± 5.0 days. In total, 37 patients had coronary computed tomography (CT), and their patency of LITA was 100%. In HCR, there was no mortality and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE). Target lesion revascularization among 12 months was 1.6%. Conclusion: The midterm results of MIDCAB with 3D endoscope-assisted LITA harvesting were satisfactory. MIDCAB, including HCR, is a good alternative for selected high-risk patients.

If the seemingly less invasive semi-flexible pleuroscopes are combined with strategies of conscious sedation and local anesthesia the pleuroscopy has the potential to reach an increasing number of hospital settings. Local experiences can provide valuable information pertaining to the reproducibility of this technique in different scenarios.We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical records of all patients that had undergone local anesthetic semi-flexible pleuroscopy in our unit between February 2015 and July 2017. Data on demographics, previous biochemical, cytological and histopathological analysis, procedure details, diagnostic and therapeutic results, complications and mortality were collected from all patients. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v23.A total of 30 patients were included. They were mainly male (66.7%), with a median age of 72 years (minimum 19 years, maximum 87 years). All presented with exudative pleural effusions and the exam was performed for diagnostic reasons. Pleural tissue was obtained in all patients and the overall diagnostic accuracy was 93.3%. Malignancy was the chief group of diagnosis (66.7%), followed by pleural tuberculosis (13.3%). The procedure was well tolerated and self-limited subcutaneous emphysema was the only complication registered (13.3%). No deaths were associated with the procedure.Our results globally overlap those of wider series and reinforce the perception that local anesthetic semi-flexible pleuroscopy is a well-tolerated, safe and highly accurate diagnostic and therapeutic tool which has proved to be both feasible and effective in our experience. Keywords: Pleuroscopy, Pleural effusion, Pleural biopsies, Interventional pulmonology

BACKGROUNDː This study compared the perioperative and follow-up period data of patients who underwent redo tricuspid valve replacements performed via thoracoscopic surgery or median sternotomy. The purpose was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and surgical outcomes of redo tricuspid valve replacement via uni-port thoracoscopic surgery. METHODSː Forty-nine patients with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation after left-side valve replacement underwent redo tricuspid valve replacements in our hospital from April 2012 to September 2019. 26 patients underwent uni-port total thoracoscopy surgery, whereas 23 patients had the surgery performed via median sternotomy. We collected perioperative and 3- to 36-month postoperative data. RESULTSː No deaths occurred in the intraoperative period. Time of cardiopulmonary bypass in the study group was significantly longer than that in the control group (P

Objective Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy is a minimally invasive procedure for major pulmonary resection. The purpose of this study was to present a novel approach with a thoracoscope in the right upper lobe and to compare different lobectomy methods at our institution. Methods We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent a thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy for lung cancer between September 2015 and September 2016. We performed 128 thoracoscopic right upper lobectomies: group A (n = 50) was treated with the bronchus-first and vessels simultaneously stapled method and group B (n = 78) was treated with the conventional isolation–ligation method. Preoperative mediastinal staging and lymphadenectomy followed the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. The intra- and postoperative outcomes were recorded and statistically compared. Results All patients underwent successful thoracoscopic right upper lobectomies. No significant differences in mean intraoperative blood loss, massive hemorrhage (>500 mL), and postoperative complications were observed between the two groups (p Conclusions Thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy with the lobectomy bronchus-first and vessels simultaneously stapled method is a safe and efficient procedure that leads to better recovery.

Medical thoracoscopy provides the physician a window into the pleural space. The procedure allows biopsy of the parietal pleura under direct visualization with good accuracy. In addition, it achieves therapeutic goals of fluid drainage, guided chest tube placement, and pleurodesis.Comparable diagnostic yield is achieved with the flexi-rigid pleuroscope even though pleural biopsies are smaller using the flexible forceps as compared to rigid thoracoscopy. Flexi-rigid pleuroscopy is extremely well tolerated and can be performed safely as an outpatient procedure. Biopsy quality can be further enhanced with accessories that are compatible with the flex-rigid pleuroscope such as the insulated tip knife and cryoprobe.With more sensitive tools to image the pleura such as contrast-enhanced computed tomography, MRI, ultrasonography, PET, increased yield with image-guided biopsy as well as advances in cytopathology, what lies in the future for medical thoracoscopy remains to be seen. However, it is the authors' opinion that medical thoracoscopy will evolve with time, complement novel techniques, and continue to play a pivotal role in the evaluation of pleuropulmonary diseases.

Background Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for mediastinal cysts has been used with increasing frequency. Both single-port VATS and three-port VATS procedures are used for mediastinal cystectomy. Few studies have been published to compare three-port VATS and single-port VATS procedures in mediastinal cystectomy. Methods Forty-five patients with mediastinal cysts who underwent single-port procedures (n = 23) or three-port procedures (n = 22) in our department from January 2016 to July 2018 were retrospectively analysed. The perioperative conditions and pathological findings were analysed. Results The single-port group showed shorter operation times [45 (35–60) vs 55 (45–80) min, p = 0.013], less retention time of the thoracic drainage tube [27(24–48) vs 48(48–70) p 0.99) or second operations (p > 0.99). Logistic regression analysis showed that the surgical method (p = 0.426) and surgeon experience (p = 0.719) were not independent prognostic factors for the success of surgery. Conclusions The single-port VATS procedure was not inferior to the three-port VATS procedure for mediastinal cystectomy. The single-port VATS procedure is a feasible choice for mediastinal cystectomy.

Intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) has been reported to localize intra-abdominal metastatic lesions in several clinical trials. Our pilot study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of ICG fluorescence localization in pulmonary metastasectomy using a near-infrared fluorescence thoracoscope. Each patient received intravenous 0.25 or 0.5 mg/kg of ICG. The maximum diameter of the tumor on computed tomography ranged from 0.5 to 3.5 (median: 1.15) cm. Intravenous ICG injection localized pulmonary metastases in a portion (3 patients) of the enrolled patients. Our preliminary results provided us with important information to modify the study protocol.

Background Patients with primary hyperhidrosis present with sweating in two or more sites in nearly 85% of cases. In this study, we examined whether the number of hyperhidrosis sites is related to the surgery outcomes. Methods One hundred ninety-three hyperhidrosis patients who underwent bilateral videothoracoscopic sympathectomy after failure or dissatisfaction with clinical treatment were distributed into three groups based on the number of hyperhidrosis sites (one site, two sites, and three or more sites of hyperhidrosis). The primary endpoints in the study were as follows: quality of life prior to surgery, improvement of quality of life after surgery, clinical improvement of sweating, presence or absence of compensatory hyperhidrosis, and general satisfaction after 1 month of surgery. Results Patients with two or more hyperhidrosis sites had worse quality of life before surgery than patients with a single hyperhidrosis site. There was an improvement in the quality of life in more than 95% of the patients, clinical improvement in more than 95% of patients, severe compensatory hyperhidrosis in less than 10%, and low general satisfaction after 1 month of surgery in only 2.60% of the patients, with no differences among the three groups. Conclusions Patients with more than one preoperative hyperhidrosis site present worse quality of life prior to surgery than those with a single hyperhidrosis site, but the number of hyperhidrosis sites before surgery does not affect surgery outcomes.

Background Primary palmar hyperhidrosis (PPH) is featured by aberrantly perspiration of the hands, which may bring a lot of inconvenience to patient's daily life and work. The purpose of this study is to summarize the clinical effect of needlescopic video-assisted thoracic bilateral T4 sympathicotomy for the treatment of PPH. Patients and Methods Between January 2009 and March 2014, 200 patients received needlescopic video-assisted thoracic bilateral T4 sympathicotomy. We, respectively, took two 5-mm incisions in the third intercostal space on the anterior axillary line and in the fifth intercostal space on the middle axillary line. After collapsing left lung, needlescopic exploration was the first step to determine the targeted sympathetic chain through the third intercostal space. Electric coagulation hook was inserted from another port to cut T4 sympathetic chain and the bypassing nerve fibers for 2 to 3 cm along the surface of the fourth rib. Right thoracic cavity was also administered the same procedure. The palmar temperature was recorded before and after sympathicotomy. The symptom improvement, operative complications, patients' recovery, and satisfaction were evaluated. Finding One hundred and ninety-seven patients uneventfully received two 5-mm port bilateral sympathicotomy, and another 3 patients with extensive pleural adhesions completed the surgery through enlarging the third intercostal incision to 2 cm without conversion to open surgery. All operative procedures were completed in 15 to 35 minutes. The hospital stay was 2 to 4 days. The palmar temperature increased by 2.0 ± 0.5°C, and hyperhidrosis immediately disappeared in both hands after surgery. The efficacy rate was 100%. The postoperative complications such as hemorrhage, hemopneumothorax, bradycardia, or Horner's syndrome had no occurrence. During 6 to 60 months follow-up, mild compensatory sweating of buttock, back, and thigh occurred in 30 patients (15%) at 2 to 5 days after surgery and gradually disappeared at postoperative 15 to 30 days or longer time. All patients were greatly satisfied with the effect with better confidence and quality of life. Until now, no recurrent palmar hyperhidrosis happened. Conclusion Needlescopic video-assisted thoracic bilateral T4 sympathicotomy could reach an excellent and immediate result of treating PPH. It is a safe, convenient, and minimally invasive method appropriate for wide clinical use.

A 53-year-old man with a penetrating trauma was admitted to our hospital. Thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT) on admission showed left diaphragmatic injury and peritoneal fat in the left thoracic cavity. Under a diagnosis of the traumatic diaphragmatic injury, an emergency operation was performed, and the left diaphragm was repaired. No other injuries were found in the thoracic and abdominal organs by thoraco-laparoscopic observation. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient left hospital on the 14th day after surgery. In case of the diaphragm injury, it is important to confirm the probable injuries of other organs by thoraco-laparoscopic observation.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the safety, feasibility, and clinical effectiveness of thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement via thoracic right-anterior minimal incision. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted of 225 patients with mitral valve lesions who were treated in our hospital from August 2012 to August 2015. Group A included 105 patients undergoing thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement via a thoracic right-anterior minimal incision, and group B included 120 patients undergoing conventional mitral valve replacement. We collected and analyzed clinical data from both groups. RESULTS The procedures were successful in patients of both groups. No severe complications or mortality were reported. Postoperative mechanical ventilation time (8.6±2.4 h vs. 12.4±3.2 h), duration of intensive care (1.7±1.2 d vs. 2.8±1.3 d), duration of postoperative analgesia use (28.7±8.9 h vs. 36.3±7.5 h), postoperative length of hospital stay (8.2±2.2 d vs. 12.8±2.1 d), pleural fluid drainage (210.5±60.5 ml vs. 425.4±75.6 ml), blood transfusion amount (420.5±80.4 ml vs. 658.3±96.7 ml), and operative incision length (4.7±1.1 cm vs. 22.4±2.5 cm) were significantly shorter (or lower) in group A than in group B. There were different advantages and disadvantages in the 2 kinds of operative procedure in terms of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS Thoracoscopy-assisted mitral valve replacement via thoracic right-anterior minimal incision has the same clinical efficacy, safety, and feasibility as conventional mitral valve replacement.

Objective: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has recently become a hot spot in the field of minimally invasive surgery. But, most of the procedures are still in the early stages of development and limited to animal experiments. Transareolar endoscopic surgery could work as a viable intermediate step before thoracic NOTES. Under intravenous anesthesia without endotracheal intubation, transareolar endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) with a flexible endoscope has rarely been attempted. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this novel minimally invasive technique in managing primary palmar hyperhidrosis (PPH). Methods: From June 2012 to July 2014, a total of 58 male patients with severe PPH underwent transareolar ETS by use of a flexible endoscope. Under intravenous anesthesia without endotracheal intubation, a flexible endoscope was introduced through the incision on the edge of the areola into the thoracic cavity. The thoracic sympathetic chain was ablated at the level of the fourth rib. Results: All procedures were successfully performed with a mean operating time of 33.6 ± 8.3 min. All patients regained consciousness rapidly and none of them complained about sore throat after surgery. There were no operative mortality and conversion to open procedure. The symptoms of all patients disappeared as soon as the sympathetic chain was cut off. Fifty six patients (96.6%) were discharged from the hospital on the first postoperative day. The postoperative complications were minor, and no patients developed Horner’s syndrome. At 3 months postoperatively, there was no obvious surgical scar on the chest wall, and none of the patients complained about postoperative pain. Compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) appeared in 19 patients. No recurrent symptoms were observed in our study. One year follow-up revealed an excellent cosmetic result and degree of satisfaction. Conclusion: Nonintubated transareolar ETS with a flexible endoscope is a safe, effective and minimally invasive therapeutic procedure, which has the possible advantages of thoracic NOTES and can be performed in routine clinical practice for male PPH patients.

Background The thoracoscope and minimally invasive techniques have been effectively used in cardiac surgery. Methods The study included 27 consecutive patients (aged 24.8±17.6 years), who underwent cardiac surgery from January 2012 to July 2013. Six patients were diagnosed with mitral valve stenosis (MS), 17 patients with atrial septal defects (ADSs), and four with ventricular septal defects (VSDs). All the patients underwent thoracoscope-assisted right vertical infra-axillary mini-incision (TARVAI). Results The procedure was successfully performed in all patients. For the patients with ASDs or VSDs, the times for cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, operating (skin-to-skin), ventilation, ICU stay, postoperative hospital stay were 63±25 min, 28.1±15.5 min, 167.1±35.7 min, 5.2±2.7 h, 25.3±10.5 h, 8.7±3.6 days, and for the patients with MS, these were 143.3±25.2 min, 88.2±15.4 min, 236.5±48.5 min, 7.3±1.5 h, 36.7±9.1 h, and 13.5±4.4 days, respectively. The median postoperative drainage (total) for the ASD/VSD and MS patients was 136.3±54.5 ml and 203.8±94.4 ml, respectively. Conclusions In our institution, the TARVAI approach is feasible and safe in cardiac surgery. It may be particularly useful in young patients with simple congenital heart disease and mitral valve disease.

OBJECTIVES Localization of small, non-visible and non-palpable subcentimetre nodules can be challenging during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Intraoperative ultrasonography is an option for localization of such lesions, yet this technology has not been fully adapted to thoracic surgery. The objective of this study was to assess a newly developed thoracoscopic ultrasound for localization and biopsy of subcentimetre pulmonary nodules in animal models. METHODS A prototype convex probe ultrasound thoracoscope (XLTF-UC180, Olympus Medical Systems Corp.) was used in this study. Multiple 5% agar pseudo-tumours were created in porcine lungs (n = 10) and assessed for localization with different frequencies (5.0-12.0 MHz) in deflated lungs. The evaluated pseudo-tumours were divided into two groups based on the distinctness of the tumour margin on the ultrasound images and compared in terms of the size and depth of the tumours. The visualization of real tumours and the biopsy capability were assessed using rabbit VX2 lung tumour models (n = 7). RESULTS The thoracoscopic ultrasound clearly visualized normal lung structures within a 1.5-cm depth including small vessels and bronchioles less than 5 mm in diameter in the completely deflated lung. Twenty-eight of 30 agar pseudo-tumours (93.3%) were successfully detected in deflated lungs (average size: 8.5 ± 2.1 mm; average depth: 7.4 ± 7.5 mm and depth range: 0-24.8 mm). Two tumours were not detected due to residual air surrounding the tumour. Higher frequency (12 MHz) tended to show more distinct margins of the targets. Indistinct tumours were located significantly deeper in the lung than the distinct tumours (14.11vs 2.42 mm), regardless of them being in a similar size range. VX2 tumours were identified as heterogeneous isoechoic lesions and adequate tissue sampling for diagnosis was achieved using a dedicated needle. CONCLUSIONS The newly developed convex probe ultrasound thoracoscope was capable of localizing subcentimetre nodules in the porcine deflated lung as well as of obtaining sufficient sampling from lung tumours in the rabbit model, which may enable single-port VATS lung nodule biopsy in a human clinical setting. However, the depth of the tumours significantly influenced the quality of ultrasound images. Complete collapse of the lung and use of high frequency may facilitate achieving distinct visualization of the targets.

Lung lobectomy after contralateral pneumonectomy is a challenging procedure associated with high morbidity and mortality. To date, only limited evidence has been available, and adequate indication or surgical approach remain unclear. We herein report a successful case of thoracoscopic lobectomy in a single-lung patient. A 63-year-old man, who had a history of left pneumonectomy for lung cancer, was found to have an abnormal opacity in the right middle zone at a health checkup 13 years after the previous operation. This nodule was later diagnosed as squamous cell cancer (cT2N0M0, stage IB) and surgical resection was considered. Thoracoscopic middle lobectomy with D1 lymph node dissection was performed for this patient under selective ventilation of the right upper and lower lobes. Postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on postoperative day 7, requiring no oxygen. The patient is doing well with no evidence of recurrence for 5 years. Given the lower invasiveness, thoracoscopic lobectomy under the selective ventilation of residual lobes could be an option after contralateral pneumonectomy in selected patients.

OBJECTIVES: Common video systems for video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) provide the surgeon a two-dimensional (2D) image. This study aimed to evaluate performances of a new three-dimensional high definition (3D-HD) system in comparison with a two-dimensional high definition (2D-HD) system when conducting a complete thoracoscopic lobectomy (CTL). METHODS: This multi-institutional comparative study trialled two video systems: 2D-HD and 3D-HD video systems used to conduct the same type of CTL. The inclusion criteria were T1N0M0 non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in the left lower lobe and suitable for thoracoscopic resection. The CTL was performed by the same surgeon using either a 3D-HD or 2D-HD system. Eighteen patients with NSCLC were included in the study between January and December 2013: 14 males, 4 females, with a median age of 65.6 years (range: 49–81). The patients were randomized before inclusion into two groups: to undergo surgery with the use of a 2D-HD or 3D-HD system. We compared operating time, the drainage duration, hospital stay and the N upstaging rate from the definitive histology. RESULTS: The use of the 3D-HD system significantly reduced the surgical time (by 17%). However, chest-tube drainage, hospital stay, the number of lymph-node stations and upstaging were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding was that 3D-HD system significantly reduced the surgical time needed to complete the lobectomy. Thus, future integration of 3D-HD systems should improve thoracoscopic surgery, and enable more complex resections to be performed. It will also help advance the field of endoscopically assisted surgery.