Patient satisfaction after Nuss procedure with one or two bars in young adults: A propensity score-matched cohort study.

Background: The Nuss procedure is the primary treatment for pectus excavatum (PE), but patient expectations are not always met. In our unit, our standard approach in the last few years has been the routine application of two bars instead of one. We aimed to retrospectively assess the impact of this approach on patient satisfaction, quality of life (QoL) and safety.

Giant thymoma with complete superior vena cava obstruction.

Thymomas are rare epithelial tumors of the mediastinum with relatively good prognosis compared to other thoracic malignancies. Surgery is considered the best treatment and the most important determinant of long-term survival even in advanced stages. Nevertheless, complete resection may be challenging and require a multimodality approach.

Air leak and intraoperative bleeding in thoracic surgery: a Delphi consensus among the members of Italian society of thoracic surgery.

Background: Persistent air leak and the management of intraoperative blood loss are common threats in thoracic surgical practice. The availability of new procedures, technology and materials is constantly evolving topical hemostats and surgical sealants must be added to this toolkit. Topical hemostats and surgical sealants differ according to their chemical nature and physical characteristics, to their origin and mechanism of action, regulatory/registration and vigilance paths.

A virtual reality craving study in tobacco addiction: The role of non-pharmacological support in tobacco detox therapy.

Nicotine addiction is a widespread, worldwide epidemic, causing six million deaths per year. A large variety of treatments for smoking cessation are currently available, including Cytisine, which is a promising drug due to its low cost and high safety levels. Notwithstanding the important amount of research on tobacco addiction treatments, smoking remains one of the most difficult substance use disorders to treat, probably also due to the fact that pharmacological treatment often overlooks other maintaining factors in this addiction, such as sensory impact and cue reactivity.

Clinical characteristics, surgical treatments, prognosis, and prognostic factors of primary tracheal cancer patients: 20-year data of the National Cancer Center, China.

Background: Tracheal cancer is a rare malignancy of which previous reports are mostly case reports or small series. Herein, we sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics, surgical treatments, and prognosis of surgically treated primary tracheal cancer patients.

Methods: Patients with primary tracheal cancer who had received surgery in our center between January 2000 and December 2020 were enrolled.

Bronchoscopic Intra-Pleural Instillation of Fibrin Glue and Autologous Blood to Manage Persistent Air Leaks after Lung Resection.

Unlabelled: Background Persistent air leak is a common complication after lung resection causing prolonged length of stay and increased healthcare costs. Surgical intervention can be an option, but other more conservative approaches should be considered first. Here, we describe the use of flexible bronchoscopy to apply fibrin glue and autologous blood sequentially to the damaged lung.

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted on Integrated Care Pathways for Lung Cancer: The Parallel Experience of a COVID-Spared and a COVID-Dedicated Center.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a historic challenge for healthcare systems, particularly with regard to cancer patients. So far, very limited data have been presented on the impact on integrated care pathways (ICPs).

Methods: We reviewed the ICPs of lung cancer patients who accessed the Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV)/University Hospital of Padua (Center 1) and the University Hospital of Verona (Center 2) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, through sixteen indicators chosen by the members of a multidisciplinary team (MDT).

Exercise prehabilitation in lung cancer: Getting stronger to recover faster.

Despite several recent advances, lung cancer surgery is still associated with potentially severe postoperative complications. It has been suggested that preoperative exercise training could render patients with borderline functional parameters eligible for surgery, improve perioperative outcomes and that these benefits might reduce healthcare costs. Nevertheless, given the substantial heterogeneity of the available studies, no specific guidelines for preoperative exercise training have been released so far.

Recommendations for Implementing Lung Cancer Screening with Low-Dose Computed Tomography in Europe.

Lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) was demonstrated in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) to reduce mortality from the disease. European mortality data has recently become available from the Nelson randomised controlled trial, which confirmed lung cancer mortality reductions by 26% in men and 39-61% in women. Recent studies in Europe and the USA also showed positive results in screening workers exposed to asbestos.

What counts more: the patient, the surgical technique, or the hospital? A multivariable analysis of factors affecting perioperative complications of pulmonary lobectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery from a large nationwide registry.

Objectives: Inherent technical aspects of pulmonary lobectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) may limit surgeons' ability to deal with factors predisposing to complications. We analysed complication rates after VATS lobectomy in a prospectively maintained nationwide registry.

Methods: The registry was queried for all consecutive VATS lobectomy procedures from 49 Italian Thoracic Units.

European position statement on lung cancer screening.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT can save lives. This European Union (EU) position statement presents the available evidence and the major issues that need to be addressed to ensure the successful implementation of low-dose CT lung cancer screening in Europe. This statement identified specific actions required by the European lung cancer screening community to adopt before the implementation of low-dose CT lung cancer screening.

Ideal conditions to perform EBUS-TBNA.

EBUS-TBNA is gaining widespread acceptance as a minimally invasive procedure for mediastinal staging and re-staging of lung cancer, diagnosis of lung tumors adjacent to large airways and characterization of both malignant and benign lymphadenopathy. The aim of this article is to describe the appropriate setting and practical aspects of the procedure that may help at the start of a new EBUS-TBNA program to improve patient safety, comfort and procedural yield according to operator experience, procedure aim, and institutional needs.

Screening for lung cancer: are we there yet?

Purpose Of Review: In lung cancer screening with low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT), the proportion of stage I disease is 50-85%, and the survival rate for resected stage I disease can exceed 90%, but proof of real benefit in terms of lung cancer mortality reduction must come from the several randomized trials underway in Europe and in the USA. Our purpose is to update the readers on recent progress in medical knowledge in this field.

Recent Findings: Relevant novelties regarding technical and collateral aspects of lung cancer screening have been made available, covering the performance of detection systems and nodule evaluation protocols, means to increase cost-effectiveness, insight into the biology of lung cancer, promotion of minimally invasive and lung-sparing surgical options, effects of screening on smoking habits and early follow-up findings in one randomized trial of LDCT vs.

Molecular alterations in spontaneous sputum of cancer-free heavy smokers: results from a large screening program.

Purpose: The high mortality rate for lung cancer is likely to be reduced by the development of a panel of sensitive biological markers able to identify early-stage lung cancers or subjects at high risk. The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of K-ras and p53 mutations and p16(INK4A), RASSF1A, and NORE1A hypermethylation in sputum of a large cohort of cancer-free heavy smokers and to assess whether these markers are suitable for a routine use in the clinical practice for the early diagnosis of pulmonary cancer.

Experimental Design: Sputum samples were collected from 820 heavy smokers.

Protection of right pneumonectomy bronchial sutures with a pedicled thymus flap.

A pedicled flap obtained by mobilizing the right lobe of the thymus was used to protect bronchial sutures in 29 consecutive patients undergoing a right pneumonectomy and in 4 additional patients. Fourteen patients had received preoperative chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. The flap procedure was, in general, easy to do, required an average time of 20.