Uniportal Subcostal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Feasible Approach for a Challenging Middle Lobectomy in an Obese Patient

Subcostal access is a novel approach for anatomical lung resection. To perform surgery via this access, specially designed long instruments are required. Subcostal access provides excellent visualization of the mediastinum and anterior lung hilum. We exhibit here a subcostal middle lobectomy with systematic en-block mediastinal lymphadenectomy in an obese 52-year-old male patient with body mass index (BMI=37.7) performed via this single incision. The operation was completed efficiently within 30 minutes with negligible postoperative pain

Mesenteric Castleman's Disease: Case Report and Literature Review

A 41-year-old man was discovered to have a pelvic mass during investigation for hypertension 2 years ago. Otherwise, he was asymptomatic, and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging revealed a highly vascular solid mass superior to the urinary bladder. A 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine whole body scan was reported as normal, which ruled out the possibility of extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma. No definitive preoperative diagnosis could be established. Surgical resection of the tumour revealed mesenteric Castleman's disease, hyaline vascular type. Such a diagnosis should be considered for any abdominal vascular mass

Uniportal video-assisted versus open pneumonectomy: a propensity score-matched comparative analysis with short-term outcomes

Objectives Uniportal (U-VATS) pneumonectomy in lung cancer patients remains disputed in terms of oncological outcomes, and has not been compared to open approaches previously. We evaluated U-VATS versus open pneumonectomy at a high-volume centre. Methods Patients undergoing pneumonectomy for lung cancer between 2014 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups based on surgical approach. Propensity-score matching was performed (1:1), and intention-to-treat analysis applied. Overall survival, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital-stay and readmission, pain, time to adjuvant therapy, morbidity and mortality were tested. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc. NC) Results 341 patients underwent pneumonectomy; 23 patients with small-cell lung cancer were excluded, thus 318 patients were submitted to surgery by either U-VATS (n = 54) or open (n = 264). After matching, 52 patients were selected from each group. Five patients (9.2%) in the uniportal group required conversion. There was no significant difference in intraoperative outcomes, complication rates, readmission rates or mortality. The U-VATS group experienced significantly shorter hospital stay (mean +/- SD; 6.7 +/- 2.7 vs 9.1 +/- 2.3 days, p < 0.001) and reported less pain postoperatively (p < 0.0001). Adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated sooner after U-VATS (38.1 +/- 8.4 vs 50.8 +/- 11.5 days, p < 0.0001). Overall survival appeared to be superior in U-VATS when pathology stage was aligned (p = 0.001). Conclusions Uniportal VATS is a safe and effective alternative approach to open surgery for pneumonectomy in lung cancer. Complications and oncologic outcomes were comparatively similar. U-VATS showed lower postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay and superior overall survival. The study is a preliminary analysis