Purpose: This study assessed physical development of patients with pectus excavatum and evaluated the effect of the Nuss procedure on physical development.

Methods: A total of 146 patients underwent the Nuss procedure; of these, at the time of the study, the bar had been removed from 123 patients (84.9%; male 93, female 30) who were eligible for participation in this study. Heights and body weights of patients were measured prior to surgery and immediately before bar removal. Chest computed tomography (CT) was performed preoperatively and immediately before bar removal. The associations between physical development and chest CT indices were evaluated.

Results: The height standard deviation score (SDS) was − 0.66 ± 2.23 preoperatively and 0.04 ± 1.34 immediately before bar removal (p <0.01). The weight SDS was − 0.02 ± 2.59 preoperatively; it increased significantly to 0.56 ± 1.56 immediately before bar removal (p <0.01). The Haller index (3.85 ± 1.18 to 2.99 ± 0.54; p <0.01) and asymmetric index (9.75 ± 6.63 to 7.01 ± 4.77; p <0.01) also showed improvements.

Conclusions: The Nuss procedure may contribute positively to the physical development of patients with pectus excavatum.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of aortic valve replacement (AVR) with mechanical (M) and bioprosthetic (B) valves as recommended by the Japanese guidelines.

Methods: From April 1995 to March 2014, 366 adult patients underwent AVR. Of these, 127 (35%) patients received M and 239 patients (65%) received B valves. A retrospective analysis of the entire and the selected 124 patients aged 60 to 70 years was carried out.

Results: In patients aged 60 to 70 years, the 15-year survival and freedom from reoperation were 88% ± 7% and 100% for the M group and 34% ± 25% (p <0.001) and 73% ± 14% (p = 0.059) for the B group, respectively. Among propensity score matching of the subgroup, there was no significant difference in survival and freedom from reoperation. The rate of thromboembolism was higher in the M (M: 0.58% vs B: 0.35% patient per year, p <0.001) and the rate of hemorrhage was higher in the M group (M: 0.34% vs B: 0.12% patient per year, p <0.001).

Conclusion: The current strategy of aortic valve choice based on the Japanese guidelines has provided excellent long-term results so far.

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Purpose: There is less certainty regarding the best strategy for treating neonates with functional single ventricle (SV) and hypoplastic aortic arch. We have applied a modified extended aortic arch anastomosis (EAAA) and main pulmonary artery banding (PAB) as an initial palliation in neonates with transverse arch hypoplasia and assessed the mid-term outcomes.

Methods: In total, 10 neonates with functional SV and extensive hypoplasia or interruption of the arch underwent a modified EAAA (extended arch anastomosis with a subclavian flap) concomitant with main PAB through a thoracotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass. Patient age and weight ranged from 4 to 14 days and 2.3 to 3.8 kg, respectively.

Results: There were no hospital deaths although there were two late deaths. Gradients across the arch were 0 to 7 mmHg at postoperative day 1 and no arch reoperations were required. Two patients required balloon aortoplasty. Nine underwent bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt and two of them needed concomitant Damus–Kaye–Stansel (DKS) anastomosis. Six have completed Fontan.

Conclusion: Our modification of EAAA with main PAB for SV neonates may benefit a certain population with transverse arch hypoplasia as an option to be considered. Patients with the potential for developing outflow obstruction may be best managed with an initial DKS-type palliation.

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Purpose: The choice of surgical repair or conservative treatment for iatrogenic tracheobronchial rupture (ITBR) remains controversial. However, thoracic surgeons consider that surgical repair is an important treatment modality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical results from the perspective of the surgery-preferred group.

Methods: We treated 11 patients (8 women and 3 men; age: 52.6 ± 22.9 years) with ITBR from January 2011 to January 2016. A posterolateral thoracotomy or a trans-tracheal approach was performed according to the mechanism of injury.

Results: Nine patients underwent surgery, and all patients received primary repair. Five patients received a right posterolateral thoracotomy, whereas one patient received a left posterolateral thoracotomy. No mortality or morbidity related to the surgery was observed. The mechanical ventilation time was 65.9 ± 99.2 hours. The intensive care unit duration was 19.7 ± 33.3 days. Two patients received conservative treatment, and all patients died of another disease that was not related to the conservative treatment.

Conclusion: Our mortality or morbidity due to surgery was not higher than world literature results of conservative treatment. We thought surgery is the primary treatment choice for ITBR in the absence of a good indication for conservative treatment.

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Background: Analog chest drainage systems (ACS) are generally used to monitor postoperative alveolar air leakage (PAL) after lung resection. An electronic digital chest drainage system (DCS) has recently been developed that reportedly has several advantages over the traditional ACS. Here, we report a single institution’s experience of PAL management with the DCS. We also sought to establish whether DCS had superior clinical benefits and outcomes compared with ACS.

Methods: We enrolled 112 consecutive patients who underwent lung resection and were subsequently managed with DCS. We compared PAL rate, duration of chest drainage, and the incidence of complications with a group of 121 consecutive patients previously managed with ACS after lung resection, using propensity score matching.

Results: Mean maximum and minimum PAL rates during DCS chest drainage were 48.9 ml/min (range: 2.0–868.6 ml/min) and 0.1 ml/min (0.0–1.2 ml/min), respectively. Mean PAL rate at DCS removal was 1.3 ml/min (0.0–10.0 ml/min). After propensity score matching, mean duration of chest drainage was significantly shorter with DCS than ACS (2.7 days, range: 1–9 days, compared with 3.7 days, range: 1–21 days, respectively; P = 0.031).

Conclusions: Managing PAL with DCS after pulmonary resection appears to reduce the duration of chest drainage.

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We reported the feasibility of single-incision thoracoscopic surgery bullectomy using a chest wall pulley for lung excision (PulLE) in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). PulLE has many merits including comfort of manipulation, cosmetic advantages, etc., compared to other procedures. However, our method was utilized for relatively straightforward cases. The PulLE was contraindicated for PSPs with multiple or comprehensive bullae. Therefore, we developed the modified PulLE (mPulLE) to treat such cases in February 2015. Although one chest wall pulley is placed in the thoracic cavity for a PulLE, two are used for an mPulLE. Herein, we describe the mPulLE technique.

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It has been reported that intrathoracic esophageal leakages occur at a rate of 4%–17% after Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. There has been no consensus on a specific treatment for the post-operative anastomotic leakage. Recently, endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure (E-VAC) has been introduced as a novel treatment for the post-operative anastomotic leakage. We herein report the case of a patient with early perforation of the gastric conduit followed by late esophagogastric anastomotic leakage who was successfully treated with early surgical repair and subsequent E-VAC. The patient had been previously diagnosed with achalasia and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and undergone an Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.

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Indocyanine green can selectively accumulate in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and extrahepatic metastases. We report a patient who underwent resection of pulmonary metastasis of HCC using a thoracoscopic near-infrared imaging system and fluorescent navigation surgery. A 66-year-old man with suspicion of pulmonary metastasis of HCC was referred to our hospital. Indocyanine green was injected intravenously at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg body weight, 20 h before thoracoscopic surgery. An endoscopic indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence imaging system showed clear blue fluorescence, indicating pulmonary metastasis of HCC in a lingular segment. We performed wide wedge resection using the fluorescence image for navigation to confirm the surgical margins. The specimen was histologically confirmed as a pulmonary metastasis of HCC. In conclusion, thoracoscopic indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence imaging for pulmonary metastases of HCC is useful in identifying tumor locations and ensuring resection margins.

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Bronchogenic cyst most commonly occurs in the mediastinum, followed by the lung. We admitted a 59-year female patient with bronchogenic cyst being uniquely located on the right chest wall of the parietal pleura. Preoperative CT scan showed a local low-density lesion on the right chest wall. The lesion was removed by the thoracoscopic surgery. During the surgical resection, the lesion was observed to be located on the right chest wall. The lesion was surrounded by adipose tissue and covered with entire parietal pleura, which looks like lipoma. Pathological examination demonstrated that the lesion was bronchogenic cyst. In addition, previously reported cases of bronchogenic cyst were reviewed, and the relevant clinical knowledge was discussed.

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