Initial experience with the da Vinci single-port system in patients with an anterior mediastinal mass.

Objectives: The da Vinci single-port system is a novel robotic system that has gained popularity and demonstrated favourable outcomes in various surgical fields. Nevertheless, its application in thoracic surgery is relatively rare. In this study, we report our initial experiences with the da Vinci single-port system via a subxiphoid approach in patients with an anterior mediastinal mass.

Recurrence Dynamics of Pathological N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Based on IASLC Residual Tumor Descriptor.

Purpose: This study investigated the recurrence patterns and timing in patients with pathologic N2 (pN2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to the residual tumor (R) descriptor proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).

Materials And Methods: From 2004 to 2021, patients with pN2 NSCLC who underwent anatomical resection were analyzed according to the IASLC R criteria using medical records from a single center. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards models.

Clinical impact of postoperative radiotherapy in pIII-N2 non-small cell lung cancer after complete resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Theoretically, postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) could reduce the risk of local recurrence and further improve survival outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of PORT on patients with pIII-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in November 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compare PORT with observation in patients with pIII-N2 NSCLC using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Validation Study for the N Descriptor of the Newly Proposed Ninth Edition of the TNM Staging System Proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to validate the discriminatory ability and clinical utility of the N descriptor of the newly proposed ninth edition of the TNM staging system for lung cancer in a large independent cohort.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent curative surgery for NSCLC between January 2004 and December 2019. The N descriptor of patients included in this study was retrospectively reclassified based on the ninth edition of the TNM classification.

Two Cases of Robot-Assisted Totally Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy with Colon Interposition for Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: Surgical Considerations.

This case report presents 2 patients with gastroesophageal junction cancer who both underwent totally minimally invasive esophagectomy with colon interposition. Patients 1 and 2, who were 43-year-old and 78-year-old men, respectively, had distinct clinical presentations and medical histories. Patient 1 underwent minimally invasive robotic esophagectomy with a laparoscopic total gastrectomy, colonic conduit preparation, and intrathoracic esophago-colono-jejunostomy.

A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Manual Needle Aspiration to Closed Thoracostomy as an Initial Treatment for the First Episode of Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax.

Background: Variation exists in the initial treatment for the first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), and no definitive consensus exists due to a lack of high-quality evidence. This study examined the outcomes of needle aspiration and closed thoracostomy in first episodes of PSP requiring intervention.

Methods: This study was a randomized, prospective, single-center trial conducted between December 2015 and August 2016.

Surgical Repair of Aortocaval Fistula Presenting with Cardiogenic Shock.

Aortocaval fistula (ACF) occurs in <1% of all abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), and in 3% to 7% of all ruptured AAAs. The triad of clinical findings of AAA with ACF are abdominal pain, abdominal machinery bruit, and a pulsating abdominal mass. Other findings include pelvic venous hypertension (hematuria, oliguria, scrotal edema), lower-limb edema with or without arterial insufficiency or venous thrombus, shock, congestive heart failure, and cardiac arrest.

A New Root-Strengthening Technique for Acute Aortic Dissection with a Weakened Aortic Root: The Neo-Adventitia Technique.

Background: Dissection flaps in acute type A aortic dissection typically extend into the root, most frequently into the non-coronary sinus (NCS). The weakened root can be susceptible not only to surgical trauma, but also to future dilatation because of its thinner layers. Herein, we describe a new technique that we named the "neo-adventitia" technique to strengthen the weakened aortic root.

Predictive value of the Essen Stroke Risk Score and Ankle Brachial Index in acute ischaemic stroke patients from 85 German stroke units.

Background: Risk stratification can contribute to individualised optimal secondary prevention in patients with cerebrovascular disease.

Objective: To prospectively investigate the prediction of the Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS) and a pathological Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) in consecutive patients hospitalised with acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in 85 neurological stroke units throughout Germany.

Methods: 852 patients were prospectively documented on standardised case report forms, including assessment of ESRS and ABI.

Systemic risk score evaluation in ischemic stroke patients (SCALA): a prospective cross sectional study in 85 German stroke units.

Background And Purpose: Stratification of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke (IS) by risk of recurrent stroke can contribute to optimized secondary prevention. We therefore aimed to assess cardiovascular risk factor profiles of consecutive patients hospitalized with TIA/IS to stratify the risk of recurrent stroke according to the Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS) and of future cardiovascular events according to the ankle brachial index (ABI) as a marker of generalized atherosclerosis

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 85 neurological stroke units throughout Germany documented cardiovascular risk factor profiles of 10 consecutive TIA/IS patients on standardized questionnaires. Screening for PAD was done with Doppler ultrasonography to calculate the ABI.

Reliability and validity of arm function assessment with standardized guidelines for the Fugl-Meyer Test, Action Research Arm Test and Box and Block Test: a multicentre study.

Objectives: To establish: (1) inter-rater and test-retest reliability of standardized guidelines for the Fugl-Meyer upper limb section, Action Research Arm Test and Box and Block Test in patients with paresis secondary to stroke, multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injury and (2) correlation between these arm motor scales and more general measures of impairment and activity limitation.

Design: Multicentre cohort study.

Setting: Three European referral centres for neurorehabilitation.