Prior Robotic Console Expertise May Improve Basic Skills at the New Hugo RAS Simulator: Results from a Cohort Trial and Implications for Skill Transference Across Platforms.

Background: Robot-assisted surgery ensures minimal invasiveness; since the expiry of the Da Vinci patent, new robotic systems have entered the market. Recently, the Hugo RAS received CE approval for several surgical procedures. However, more is needed to know about skill acquisition at the new simulator.

Early outcomes of "low-risk" patients undergoing lung resection assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing: Single-institution experience.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is currently recommended for all patients undergoing lung resection with either respiratory comorbidities or functional limitations. The main parameter evaluated is oxygen consumption at peak (VOpeak). Patients with VOpeak above 20 ml/kg/min are classified as low risk surgical candidates.

The Overweight Paradox: Impact of Body Mass Index on Patients Undergoing VATS Lobectomy or Segmentectomy.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of BMI on perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy. Data from 5088 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy, included in the VATS Group Italian Registry, were collected. BMI (kg/m) was categorized according to the WHO classes: underweight, normal, overweight, obese.

An Unusual Histology for a Lung Nodule: A Case Report of Primary Pulmonary Paraganglioma.

Primary pulmonary paraganglioma is a rare tumor with few cases reported in literature and unspecific clinical presentation. A 49-year-old woman presented to our department with an incidental finding of a pulmonary mass at chest X-ray and no associated clinical symptom. The CT scan and the FDG-PET showed mild uptake of contrast, but a definitive diagnosis was only possible after surgery through histopathological examination.

Case Report: Mediastinal Mass in SARS-COV-2 Pandemic: A Word of Caution.

SARS-CoV-2 is a new disease with some manifestations not yet well-known. Sharing experiences in this topic is crucial for the optimal management of the patients. Left upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) due to a mediastinal mass strongly suspected of lymphoproliferative disease in a patient affected by SARS-CoV-2, disappearing at the resolution of the viral infection.

Case Report: Multidisciplinary Approach for a Rare Case of Thymic Vascular Malformation.

We report the rare case of a 2.5 cm in size mass diagnostic for residual thymus associated with venous vascular malformation (ISSVA classification, 2008) in a 58 years old man. Diagnosis was obtained only after surgical removal that was complicated by a sudden massive bleeding (about 1,500 cc) requiring emergency conversion to median sternotomy.

The Many Faces of Covid-19 at a Glance: A University Hospital Multidisciplinary Account From Milan, Italy.

In March 2020, northern Italy became the second country worldwide most affected by Covid-19 and the death toll overtook that in China. Hospital staff soon realized that Covid-19 was far more severe than expected from the few data available at that time. The Covid-19 pandemic forced hospitals to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances.

Unexpected thymoma in a challenging case of hyperparathyroidism.

We report the case of a woman with primary hyperparathyroidism suspected of mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenoma revealed to be a thymoma. Our aim was to focus on some possible criticisms in distinguishing between ectopic parathyroid and thymus.

Metastatic lung cancer presenting as thoracic empyema. A Case report.

Increased cancer risk in patients with inflammatory and infectious diseases has been reported in many studies and lung cancer-associated empyema in <0.3% patients. We present a patient with empyema in whom the final diagnosis was metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Body Position Alters Mechanical Power and Respiratory Mechanics During Thoracic Surgery.

Background: During thoracic surgery, patients are usually positioned in lateral decubitus and only the dependent lung ventilated. The ventilated lung is thus exposed to the weight of the contralateral hemithorax and restriction of the dependent chest wall. We hypothesized that mechanical power would increase during one-lung ventilation in the lateral position.

Inflammatory role of extracellular sphingolipids in Cystic Fibrosis.

Ceramide is emerging as one of the players of inflammation in lung diseases. However, data on its inflammatory role in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) as part of the extracellular machinery driven by lung mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are missing. We obtained an in vitro model of CF-MSC by treating control human lung MSCs with a specific CFTR inhibitor.

Lung mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles attenuate the inflammatory profile of Cystic Fibrosis epithelial cells.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are multi-potent non-hematopoietic stem cells, residing in most tissues including the lung. MSCs have been used in therapy of chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but the main beneficial effects reside in the anti-inflammatory potential of the released extracellular vesicles (EVs). Recent reports demonstrate that EVs are effective in animal model of asthma, E.

Advantages of wound retractor device versus rigid trocar at camera port in video-assisted thoracic surgery-a single institution experience.

Background: rigid trocars are widely adopted in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), despite some disadvantages: (I) cannula strong pressure on intercostal nerve stimulating postoperative pain; (II) limited movement of thoracoscopic devices on their fulcrum when extreme acute angles with the chest wall are needed. Wound retractor (WR) device, designed for laparoscopic surgery, it is also used in VATS, but to protect mini-thoracotomy. We compared the use of extra-small WR versus rigid trocar at camera port that is the most painful thoracostomy.