Utilizing Stereotactic Spine Navigation for Posterior Partial Vertebrectomy in an En Bloc Resection of a Superior Pulmonary Sulcus Tumor Invading the Thoracic Vertebrae: A Technical Note.

Prior to the development of en bloc techniques, vertebral invasion by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had been considered a relative contraindication to surgical intervention. However, reports in the literature have demonstrated increased progression-free survival with the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by anterior en bloc resection of the residual tumor. Stereotactic spine navigation has been shown to improve accuracy during complex vertebral osteotomies, improving patient outcomes.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Continuous Subpleural Bupivacaine After Thoracoscopic Surgery.

We sought to evaluate the merit of routine placement of a subpleural tunneled pain catheter delivering local anesthetic as measured by narcotic medication usage and subjective pain score analysis. Eighty-six patients were randomized into the subpleural catheter or intraoperative incision site injection groups in a 1:1 fashion, and underwent thoracoscopic surgery using 2 incisions. All patients had standardized anesthetic delivery and postoperative pain control.

Early experience with robotic-assisted lung resection.

Objective: Robotic-assisted surgery is not widely accepted for general thoracic surgical procedures, and the technical advantages, cost effectiveness, and patient benefit are in question. Few reports have been published to date regarding clinical experience with this technology. We describe our first consecutive case experience with robotic-assisted lung resection.

Thoracic surgery in octogenarians: CVTSA/Inova Fairfax hospital experience, 1990 to 2009.

With an increasing proportion of U.S. individuals 80 years of age or older, the authors examined their surgical experience with octogenarians undergoing major, curative-intent thoracic surgery.

Thoracic esophageal perforations.

The authors review their experience with thoracic esophageal perforation at Inova Fairfax Hospital, June 1, 1988, to March 1, 2009. With the exception of 6 patients with occult perforation, all of whom survived with nonoperative therapy, aggressive surgical intervention was the standard approach. Among patients treated aggressively with surgery within 24 hours of perforation, hospital survival was 97 per cent versus 89 per cent for patients treated aggressively surgically after 24 hours.

The sensitivity of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the evaluation of metastatic pulmonary nodules.

Objective: Pulmonary metastasectomy is beneficial in select patients. The sensitivity of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for pulmonary metastasis is unknown. The aims of the study were to determine the accuracy of FDG-PET in detecting pulmonary metastasis and identify factors affecting sensitivity.

Analysis of respiratory complications after minimally invasive esophagectomy: preliminary observation of persistent aspiration risk.

Minimally invasive (MI) esophageal resection (ER) has the theoretical advantage of reduced postoperative complications compared with standard ER. However, the impact of MIER on rates and severity of pulmonary complications is unclear. Four patients underwent laparoscopic gastroesophageal mobilization and resection followed by gastric pull-up and cervical esophageal anastomosis (MIER).

Delayed paraplegia following infrarenal abdominal aortic endograft placement: case report and literature review.

The treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has changed over the past 12 years, with increased numbers of endovascular procedures being performed. Early morbidity is decreased following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) compared with open repair, and long-term studies of EVAR have focused on freedom from death, rupture, and conversion to open repair. Other less commonly encountered complications of EVAR are rarely reported.