Current situation of management of spontaneous pneumothorax in Japan: A cross-sectional cohort study.

Background: Limited epidemiological information is available on spontaneous pneumothorax. To address this gap, the Japan Society for Pneumothorax and Cystic Lung Disease (JSPCLD) conducted a nationwide retrospective survey to investigate the current epidemiology of spontaneous pneumothorax in Japan.

Methods: In this study, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study to demonstrate the clinical features of spontaneous pneumothorax in one year from April 2019 to March 2020, compare patient characteristics and treatment outcomes between primary (PSP) and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP), and investigate the risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality among patients with SSP.

A retrospective multi-institutional survey of characteristics of surgically treated spontaneous hemopneumothorax patients.

Objective: The Japan Society for Pneumothorax and Cystic Lung Disease conducted a nationwide retrospective survey to identify correlations between the timing of surgical intervention and the incidence of transfusion, and to examine the factors contributing to the need for transfusion among clinical features in surgically treated spontaneous hemopneumothorax (SHP) patients.

Methods: We analyzed the characteristics and perioperative results of patients with SHP who underwent thoracoscopy or thoracotomy between April 2009 and March 2019.

Results: From 17 institutions, 171 cases were enrolled in this study.

[Acute Mediastinitis].

Acute mediastinitis is a deep thoracic infection. In particular, descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is serious and potentially fatal, however, the initial symptoms are often not severe. It is caused by prolonged oropharyngeal or odontogenic infections such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and dental caries.

Retrolaminar versus epidural block for postoperative analgesia after minor video-assisted thoracic surgery: a retrospective, matched, non-inferiority study.

Background: The role of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) for postoperative analgesia after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is still controversial. Some studies have reported the efficacy of ultrasound-guided retrolaminar block (RLB) for the postoperative management of pain after chest wall surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of ultrasound-guided RLB with those of TEA in patients undergoing minor VATS procedures.

Preliminary experimental outcomes of induced hypercapnia in treatment of obstinate singultus.

Background: Our team found that abolishing the venous-arterial CO gradient can cease singultus (hiccups), in which the CO pressure in blood reaches no less than 50 mmHg. In order to precisely investigate the target level as a preliminary study, we made a combination gas consisting of 10% CO and 90% O to generate the conditions instantly and safely.

Methods: Thirty-five cases consisting of 26 patients with long-term chronic singultus were treated using the gas.

[Pulmonary Mucormycosis with Reversed Halo Sign on Computed Tomography of Patient with Leukemia].

The patient was a male in his 60s, who had undergone bone marrow transplantation because of lymphoblastic leukemia. He suffered from chest pain two weeks after the transplantation. A chest computed tomography(CT) showed reversed halo sign( RHS) in the right upper lobe of the lung.

Pneumothorax in teenagers: reducing recurrence through resection of superior segment of lower lobe.

Background: Spontaneous pneumothorax in young patients is characterized by a high recurrence rate. We retrospectively investigated causes of recurrence and effective surgical methods to improve this statistic, in particular through resection of the superior segment of the lower lung lobe (S6a).

Methods: From April 2011 to September 2017, we performed 146 operations for 126 lateral side pneumothoraces in patients 20 years of age or younger (105 males and 7 females, mean age 17.

CO retention: The key to stopping hiccups.

Background: While investigating the mechanisms behind hiccups, our team discovered what could be the sufficient physiological conditions for terminating even persistent cases.

Methods: To investigate the role of CO retention, a healthy male volunteer was asked to perform three kinds of rebreathing experiments using different materials: (I) a 20 L air-filled plastic bag, (II) a 20 L air-filled plastic bag with a 1.5 × 1.

Postoperative pain in thoracic surgery: re-evaluating the benefits of VATS when coupled with epidural analgesia.

Background: In order to evaluate the reduced postoperative pain of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (cVATS), a study was conducted to compare acute postoperative pain between cVATS and open thoracotomy employing continuous epidural analgesia (EA).

Methods: A total of 62 patients, 49 males and 13 females with a mean age of 54.8 years, who had undergone thoracic surgery at our institution from November 2013 to June 2015 were enrolled in this study.

A teleconference with three-dimensional surgical video presentation on the 'usual' Internet.

Endoscopic surgery employing three-dimensional (3D) video images, such as a robotic surgery, has recently become common. However, the number of opportunities to watch such actual 3D videos is still limited due to many technical difficulties associated with showing 3D videos in front of an audience. A teleconference with 3D video presentations of robotic surgeries was held between our institution and a distant institution using a commercially available telecommunication appliance on the 'usual' Internet.

Ten cases of resected solitary pulmonary metastases arising from gastric cancer.

Background: Because carcinomatous lymphangitis and carcinomatous pleuritis are the usual forms of metastasis associated with gastric cancer, resection of solitary pulmonary metastases arising from gastric cancer is rarely performed. To clarify the characteristics of pulmonary metastases from gastric cancer, we investigated patients who underwent resection of metastatic solitary lung tumors arising from gastric cancer.

Methods: Between October 2003 and October 2012, 10 patients underwent pulmonary metastasectomy for metastatic gastric cancer at our institution.

Efficacy of arginine supplementation for the treatment of air leakage.

Background: Recently, the role of the amino acid arginine in wound healing has been emphasized. We studied whether postoperative enteral arginine supplementation can contribute to the resolution of prolonged air leakage after lung resections.

Methods: 42 patients undergoing lung resection at our institutions from 2009 to 2012 were enrolled in this study.

Medical teleconferencing with high-definition video presentation on the 'usual' Internet.

Although medical teleconferences on advanced academic networks have been common (Telemed J E Health 15:112-117, 1; Asian J Endosc Surg 3:185-188, 2; Surg Today 41:1579-1581, 3; Telemedicine development center of Asia. http://www.aqua.

Outcomes of surgery in lung cancer patients with schizophrenia.

Purpose: There are very few reports regarding the outcome of lung cancer surgery in patients with schizophrenia, and the clinical features of such patients are still unclear.

Methods: From 2004 to 2012, 11 lung cancer patients (six male, five female; mean age, 62.7 years) with schizophrenia underwent lung resections at our institutions.

Frequency of multiple primary cancers in the lung and other organs in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: We examined whether cancers frequently occur in hemodialysis patients, and therefore, investigated the features and outcomes of hemodialysis patients who had undergone surgery for non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Between 1995 and 2011, 14 hemodialysis patients with lung cancer (8 males and 6 females) with a mean age of 67.0 years successfully underwent pulmonary resection at our institution.

Off-the-job training for VATS employing anatomically correct lung models.

We evaluated our simulated major lung resection employing anatomically correct lung models as "off-the-job training" for video-assisted thoracic surgery trainees. A total of 76 surgeons voluntarily participated in our study. They performed video-assisted thoracic surgical lobectomy employing anatomically correct lung models, which are made of sponges so that vessels and bronchi can be cut using usual surgical techniques with typical forceps.

Medical teleconference about thoracic surgery using free Internet software.

Surgical teleconferences using advanced academic networks are becoming common; however, reports regarding Internet teleconferencing using free software packages such as Skype, USTREAM, and Dropbox are very rare. Teleconferences concerning mainly surgical techniques were held five times between Fukuoka University Hospital and other institutions from April to September 2010. These teleconferences used Skype and USTREAM as videophones to establish communication.

Does pneumothorax occurrence correlate with a change in the weather?

Purpose: There has been speculation that weather changes correlate with the incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax, although this has not been verified. Moreover, there are no significant data available on the meteoropathic pneumothorax in Asia. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible correlation and to compare our results to those of the United States and Europe.

[Thoracic drainage].

The thoracic drainage system is a sophisticated and useful technology, especially in thoracic surgery. therefore, lung resections are able to be performed safely in spite of air leaks which are a common problem after pulmonary resection. The thoracic drainage system is called the 3 bottles system, which are consisted of a drainage-bottle, an underwater-seal-bottle, and a continuous low-pressure-suction devise.

Clinical outcome after pulmonary resection for lung cancer patients on hemodialysis.

Background: The number of operations for patients with malignant tumors receiving long-term hemodialysis has been increasing; however, there are only few reports about pulmonary resection for the patients with lung cancer.

Methods: Between 1995 and 2009, 11 hemodialysis patients (6 men, 5 women; mean age, 66.4 years) with non-small cell lung cancer underwent pulmonary resection at our institution.