OBJECTIVES The aim of the present paper was to conduct a comparative analysis of outcomes after thoracoscopic resection versus standard thoracotomy approach in the treatment of Pancoast tumours. METHODS All consecutive patients with Pancoast tumours undergoing surgical treatment from March 2000 to November 2012 were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether a thoracos...

Background: To evaluate the benefits of perioperative pulmonary rehabilitation training (PPRT) in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung cancer resection.

The anaesthetic experience in three patients undergoing thoracoscopic oesophagectomy is discussed. The indications for surgery and the premorbid states are outlined. The necessity for one-lung ventilation, with its attendant cardiopulmonary effects, the difficulty of patient access and the assessment of blood loss were the main problems encountered. Pulmonary morbidity was high in the post-oper...

Fig. 1. Computed tomography clearly demonstrated lung hernia of the right lower lobe through a chest wall defect at the site of a previous thoracoscopic surgery. At the previous thoracoscopic surgery, intercostal incision was closed with two interrupted sutures passing over the rib above the incision and through the rib below the incision, and three horizontal mattress interrupted sutures trave...

Thoracoscopic talc poudrage of the entire pleural surface constitutes successful treatment of recurrent pneumothorax in cystic fibrosis (CF); however, subsequent lung transplantation is seriously jeopardized due to the development of extensive pleural adhesions. We describe a 27-year-old patient with CF with recurrent right-sided pneumothorax, refractory to chest tube drainage and to chemical (...

One Lung Ventilation (OLV) is the preferred method of anesthesia in the vast majority of thoracic operations, especially thoracoscopic procedures. Although double lumen endotracheal tubes are usually used to conduct OLV during thoracic operations, in patients with permanent tracheostomy, because of short trachea, keeping these tubes safe in place is usually difficult. Thus, OLV in patients with...

ABBREVIATIONS: ADA: Adenosine Deaminase; AFB: Acid Fast Bacilli; ALP: Alkaline Phosphatase; CPB: Closed Pleural Biopsy; CT: Computerized Tomography; HAI: Hospital Acquired Infection; HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; LDH: Lactate Dehydrogenase; MM: Malignant Mesothelioma; NPV: Negative Predictive Value; PPV: Positive Predictive Value; SGOT: Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetate Transaminase; SGPT: Serum...

Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a relatively rare congenital anomaly. Surgical intervention is required to establish esophageal continuity and prevent aspiration and overdistension of the stomach. Since the first successful report of thoracoscopic TEF repair in 2000, the minimally invasive approach has become increasingly utilized. The main advantages of the thoracoscopic technique include a...

Quality of life is receiving increasing attention as a criterion for the assessment of treatment, not least for surgery, in pancreatic cancer. In exocrine pancreatic cancer there are three main symptoms that must be dealt with: pain, loss of weight and jaundice. All of them seriously impair quality of life, but most often pain is the most feared by the patients. Despite this, the intensity and ...

Chronic pancreatitis is a disease often characterized by recurrent episodes of abdominal pain accompanied by progressive pancreatic exocrine and endocrine insufficiency [1] and it sometimes requires multiple hospitalizations. Obstructive jaundice, duodenal stenosis, left-sided portal hypertension, pseudocyst and mass formation, and pancreatic carcinoma may occur as complications of chronic panc...