Lymphatic vascular invasion: Diagnostic variability and overall survival impact on patients undergoing surgical resection.

Objective: The diagnostic criteria of lymphatic vascular invasion have not been standardized. Our investigation assesses the factors associated with lymphatic vascular invasion positive tumors and the impact of lymphatic vascular invasion on overall survival for patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing (bi)lobectomy with an adequate node dissection.

Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried from the years 2010 to 2015 to find surgical patients who underwent lobectomy with at least 10 lymph nodes examined (adequate node dissection) and with known lymphatic vascular invasion status.

Multidisciplinary management of adult patients with chylothorax: a consensus statement.

The management of chylothorax remains challenging given the limited evidence and significant heterogeneity in practice. In addition, there are no practical guidelines on the optimal approach to manage this complex condition. We convened an international group of 27 experts from 20 institutions across five countries and four specialties (pulmonary, interventional radiology, thoracic surgery and nutrition) with experience and expertise in managing adult patients with chylothorax.

Body mass Index does not impact long-term survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis undergoing lung transplantation.

Objective: We investigated the impact of body mass index (BMI) on post-operative outcomes and survival of patients with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) undergoing lung transplantation.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 222 patients with IPF that underwent lung transplant (LT) at our institution from 2005 to 2019. Recipients were divided in 4 groups: group-1 consisted of underweight patients (BMI ≤18.

One hundred cases of primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum: leukocytosis is common, pleural effusions and age over 40 are rare.

Background: Primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PSPM) is a benign condition, but it can be difficult to discriminate from Boerhaave syndrome. The diagnostic difficulty is attributable to a shared constellation of history, signs, and symptoms combined with a poor understanding of the basic vital signs, labs, and diagnostic findings characterizing PSPM. These challenges likely contribute to high resource utilization for diagnosis and management of a benign process.

Systems of Care Factors Should Be Considered in Regionalization of Congenital Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Regionalization of care has been proposed to optimize outcomes in congenital cardiac surgery (CCS). We hypothesized that hospital infrastructure and systems of care factors could also be considered in regionalization efforts.

Methods: Observed-to-expected (O/E) mortality ratio and hospital volumes were obtained between 2015 and 2018 from public reporting data.

Successful Lung Transplantation for Severe Post-COVID-19 Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Lung transplantation has been well described for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the acute setting, but less so for the resulting pulmonary sequelae. This report describes a case of lung transplantation for post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis. A 52-year-old woman contracted COVID-19 in July 2020 and mounted a partial recovery, but she went on to have declining function over the ensuing 3 months, with development of fibrocystic lung changes.

A narrative review of primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum: a poorly understood and resource-intensive problem.

Primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PSPM) is a benign self-limited condition that can be difficult to discriminate from esophageal perforation. This may trigger costly work-up, transfers and hospital admissions. To better understand this diagnostic dilemma and current management, we undertook the most comprehensive and up to date review of PSPM.

Analysis of Recent Literature on Lung Volume Reduction Surgery.

Publication of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) in 2003 established lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) as a viable treatment of select patients with moderate to severe emphysema, and the only intervention since the availability of ambulatory supplemental oxygen to improve survival. Despite these findings, surgical treatment has been underused in part because of concern for high morbidity and mortality. This article reviews recent literature generated since the original NETT publication, focusing on physiologic implications of LVRS, recent data regarding the safety and durability of LVRS, and patient selection and extension of NETT criteria to other patient populations.

Use of fibrinolytics and deoxyribonuclease in adult patients with pleural empyema: a consensus statement.

Although our understanding of the pathogenesis of empyema has grown tremendously over the past few decades, questions still remain on how to optimally manage this condition. It has been almost a decade since the publication of the MIST2 trial, but there is still an extensive debate on the appropriate use of intrapleural fibrinolytic and deoxyribonuclease therapy in patients with empyema. Given the scarcity of overall guidance on this subject, we convened an international group of 22 experts from 20 institutions across five countries with experience and expertise in managing adult patients with empyema.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Composite Score Rating for Pulmonary Resection for Lung Cancer.

Background: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD) has developed composite quality measures for lobectomy and esophagectomy. This study sought to develop a composite measure including all resections for lung cancer.

Methods: The STS lung cancer composite score is based on 2 outcomes: risk-adjusted mortality and morbidity.

Survival after adjuvant radiation therapy in localized small cell lung cancer treated with complete resection.

Objectives: To determine whether there is an overall survival (OS) benefit to the addition of thoracic radiation therapy (RT) following R0 resection of pathologic (p) T1 or pT2 N0 M0 small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Using the National Cancer Database, we performed a retrospective cohort analysis. Patients who underwent R0 resection for pT1 or p2 N0 M0 small cell lung cancer, stratified by receipt of adjuvant thoracic RT, were compared on the basis of OS using hierarchical Cox Proportional hazards models.

Evaluation of adherence to the Commission on Cancer lung cancer quality measures.

Objective: In this study we present historic data on adherence to and survival outcomes associated with recently introduced quality measures for the management of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods: The National Cancer Data Base was queried to identify all patients with non-small-cell lung cancer from 1998 to 2011. Adherence to guidelines was assessed for each of 3 Commission on Cancer-defined quality measures: (1) sampling 10 regional lymph nodes at surgery; (2a) surgery within 120 days of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or, (2b) 180 days of adjuvant chemotherapy; and (3) nonsurgical primary therapy in cN2 disease.

Defining Proficiency for The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Participants Performing Thoracoscopic Lobectomy.

Background: Parameters defining attainment and maintenance of proficiency in thoracoscopic video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigated the institutional performance curve for VATS lobectomy by using risk-adjusted cumulative sum (Cusum) analysis.

Methods: Using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, the study investigators identified centers that had performed a total of 30 or more VATS lobectomies.

Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions. An Official ATS/STS/STR Clinical Practice Guideline.

Background: This Guideline, a collaborative effort from the American Thoracic Society, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Society of Thoracic Radiology, aims to provide evidence-based recommendations to guide contemporary management of patients with a malignant pleural effusion (MPE).

Methods: A multidisciplinary panel developed seven questions using the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcomes) format. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach and the Evidence to Decision framework was applied to each question.

Short-Term Outcomes of Tracheal Resection in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

Background: Tracheal surgery is uncommon, and most of the published literature consists of single-center series over large periods. Our goal was to perform a national, contemporary analysis to identify predictors of major morbidity and mortality based on indication and surgical approach.

Methods: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) was queried for all patients undergoing tracheal resection between 2002 and 2016.

Treatment trends in early-stage lung cancer in the United States, 2004 to 2013: A time-trend analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Objective: The study objective was to evaluate trends in the use of surgical therapy for patients with early-stage (IA-IIA) non-small cell lung cancer when stereotactic ablative radiotherapy was introduced in the United States.

Methods: Patients with clinical stage IA to IIA non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2013, were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate the change in the proportion of patients undergoing surgery over time.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Can Successfully Support Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Lieu of Mechanical Ventilation.

Objectives: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is increasingly used in the management of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. With extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, select patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome can be managed without mechanical ventilation, sedation, or neuromuscular blockade. Published experience with this approach, specifically with attention to a patient's respiratory drive following cannulation, is limited.

Utility of minimally invasive thoracoscopy for assessment of residual mediastinal lymphoma.

Background: Patients with primary mediastinal lymphomas frequently present with a residual mass after completion of first-line therapy. Although a positron emission tomography scan is usually recommended, it fails to distinguish between persistent lymphoma and inflammation. Although percutaneous biopsy may have a high diagnostic yield for the initial diagnosis of mediastinal lymphomas, this biopsy has poor accuracy for detecting persistent disease in a residual mass given the heterogeneity of these residual masses.