Beyond the Chest Wall: Examining the Relationship Between Morphological Features and Psychosocial Distress in Pectus Excavatum Patients.

Introduction: Pectus excavatum patients frequently experience psychosocial distress, yet the relationship with morphological features of the deformity remains unexplored. We hypothesize that certain morphological features analyzed by 3D optical surface imaging contribute more prominently to the distress experienced by pectus excavatum patients as they impact the visible severity of the deformity.

Materials And Methods: Consecutive pectus excavatum patients who received three-dimensional optical surface imaging between August 2019 and November 2022 were included.

Sternal elevation in pectus excavatum repair: comparison of a unilateral versus bilateral frame crane system.

Objectives: Instability in the conventional, unilateral frame crane system occurs when greater sternal elevation forces are required, which potentially limits optimal sternal elevation during Nuss repair of the pectus excavatum. A bilateral frame setup was subsequently developed. We hypothesized that increasing the retractor's stability with the bilateral frame crane system would yield superior sternal elevation, as reflected by a greater lift of the anterior chest wall.

Postoperative chylothorax following video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy (VAMLA) for early-stage non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Chylothorax is a rare condition in which chylous fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity, most often due to iatrogenic injury of the thoracic duct. This paper reports a case of a woman in her 50s presenting with chyle leakage after a video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy (VAMLA) for staging of a nodule suspected of non-small cell lung carcinoma. After the VAMLA, a Uniportal Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery lobectomy was scheduled during which the chylothorax was observed.

Defining the optimal annual institutional case volume for minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum through a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis of outcomes.

Background: The Nuss procedure is the accepted standard approach to correct pectus excavatum. Still, is associated with potential major complications that are in part believed to be preventable as they might be the consequence of institutional case-volume differences. The objective is to evaluate the presence of a volume-outcome relation for the Nuss procedure and determine the optimal annual institutional case-volume threshold, defining high-volume centers.

Treatment of traumatic rib fractures: an overview of current evidence and future perspectives.

Operative management of rib fractures has gained significant popularity over the last years, however, it remains a controversial topic, due to the substantial heterogeneity among rib fracture patients with considerable differences in epidemiology. Hence, the present narrative review aims to provide an overview of the treatment and (long-term) outcomes of rib fractures, with an emphasis on the surgical treatment. Nowadays, computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be most practical and sensitive for detecting rib fractures, of which up to 50% is missed on other imaging modalities.

Evaluating three-dimensional lung reconstructions for thoracoscopic lung resections using open-source software: a pilot study.

Background: Preoperative three-dimensional (3D) lung reconstructions can reduce intraoperative blood loss, conversion rate, and operation duration. These 3D reconstructions are predominantly provided by commercial expensive products, hence we aimed to assess the usability and performance of preoperative 3D lung reconstructions created with open-source software.

Methods: Patients were invited to participate in this prospective pilot study if they were planned for uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy or segmentectomy between January and February 2023.

Uniportal versus multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: Multiportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (mVATS) is the standard approach for the surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. However, uniportal VATS (uVATS) has emerged as an alternative aiming to minimize surgical morbidity. This study aims to strengthen the evidence on the safety and efficiency of uVATS compared to mVATS.

Management of soft tissue sarcomas of the chest wall: a comprehensive overview.

Sarcomas of the chest wall are rare and their current treatment regimen is diverse and complex due to the heterogeneity of these tumors as well as the variations in tumor location and extent. They only account for 0.04% of newly diagnosed cancers of whom about 45% comprise soft tissue sarcomas.

The use of intravenous indocyanine green in minimally invasive segmental lung resections: a systematic review.

Background: To identify intersegmental planes (ISPs) in video/robot-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomies, indocyanine green (ICG) is commonly used. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous ICG in the identification of ISP.

Methods: A systematic search was performed.

Intercostal nerve cryoablation versus thoracic epidural analgesia for minimal invasive Nuss repair of pectus excavatum: a protocol for a randomised clinical trial (ICE trial).

Introduction: Epidural analgesia is currently considered the gold standard in postoperative pain management for the minimally invasive Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. Alternative analgesic strategies (eg, patient-controlled analgesia and paravertebral nerve block) fail in accomplishing adequate prolonged pain management. Furthermore, the continuous use of opioids, often prescribed in addition to all pain management strategies, comes with side effects.

Impact of FDG-PET/CT and Laparoscopy in Staging of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Cost Analysis in the Prospective Multicenter PLASTIC-Study.

Background: Unnecessary D2-gastrectomy and associated costs can be prevented after detecting non-curable gastric cancer, but impact of staging on treatment costs is unclear. This study determined the cost impact of F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and staging laparoscopy (SL) in gastric cancer staging.

Materials And Methods: In this cost analysis, four staging strategies were modeled in a decision tree: (1) FDG-PET/CT first, then SL, (2) SL only, (3) FDG-PET/CT only, and (4) neither SL nor FDG-PET/CT.

Pectus excavatum and carinatum: a narrative review of epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical features, and classification.

Background And Objective: A wide variety of congenital chest wall deformities that manifest in infants, children and adolescents exists, among which are pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum. Numerous studies have been conducted over the years aiming to better understand these deformities. This report provides a brief overview of what is currently known about the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, and classification of these deformities, and highlights the gaps in knowledge.

Advancements in preoperative imaging of pectus excavatum: a comprehensive review.

Pectus excavatum, the most common pectus deformity, varies in severity and has been associated with cardiopulmonary impairment and psychological distress. Since its initial documentation, a multitude of imaging techniques for preoperative evaluation (i.e.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lobectomy: the learning curve.

Objectives: Prior reported learning curves for uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy were predominantly based on surgery duration, while reports on complications are limited. Therefore, our study assessed the learning curve based on both technique-related complications and surgery duration.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients who had undergone uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy between 2015 and 2020.

Modification of the Abramson procedure for minimally invasive repair of pectus carinatum: introduction of a pectus carinatum compression system.

Pectus carinatum is characterized by a protruding sternum. This deformity can be surgically corrected through the minimally invasive Abramson technique. In this procedure, a presternal metal correctional bar, secured to rib-attached stabilizers, is implanted to redress the sternum to a neutral position.

Preoperative imaging of clinically relevant intrathoracic abnormalities in pectus excavatum patients.

Background: Preoperative radiological imaging in pectus excavatum sometimes coincidentally yields additional intrathoracic abnormalities. In the context of a larger research project investigating replacement of CT scans by 3D-surface scanning as routine preoperative work-up for pectus excavatum, this study aims to quantify the incidence of clinically relevant intrathoracic abnormalities found incidentally using conventional CT in pectus excavatum patients.

Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted including pectus excavatum patients, receiving CT between 2012 and 2021 as part of their preoperative evaluation.