Thoracoscopy in the management of congenital lung diseases in infancy.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to compare the results of thoracoscopic surgery for congenital lung diseases between infants younger than 6 months and those older than 6 months at the time of surgery in terms of operation duration, surgical complications, chest tube duration, and hospital stay.


METHODS
The charts of 30 thoracoscopic resections for congenital lung diseases were retrospectively reviewed. This study compared 17 children younger than 6 months (mean, 3.94 months; range, 0.37-5.7 months; group 1) with 13 children older than 6 months (mean, 12.05 months; range, 6.2-24.63 months; group 2) at the time of surgery. The median follow-up period was 9 months (range, 1-41 months).


RESULTS
Lobectomy was performed in 27 cases, bilobectomy in 1 case, and nonanatomic excision in 2 cases. The mean operating time for group 1 (176±54 min) was similar to that for group 2 (160±46 min). The difference is not significant. The mean duration of chest tube drainage was similar in the two groups (4.4 days; range, 1-9 days for group 1 vs. 4.1 days; range, 3-8 days for group 2). The complications included 1 major and 10 minor complications, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Three surgical procedures in each group were converted. The hospital stay was not statistically different between the two groups (8 days; range, 3-20 days for group 1 vs. 6 days; range, 4-10 days for group 2).


CONCLUSIONS
The study findings showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of operation time, complication rate, conversion rate, or hospital stay. Lobectomy can be safely and successfully performed by thoracoscopy even for children younger than 6 months.
Boubnova
Julia
J
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Timone-enfants Hospital, 264 rue Saint Pierre, 13005, Marseille, France. julia.boubnova@gmail.com
Peycelon
Matthieu
M
Garbi
Olivier
O
David
Marion
M
Bonnard
Arnaud
A
De Lagausie
Pascal
P
D000367:Age Factors; D001998:Bronchopulmonary Sequestration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015615:Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000002:abnormalities*; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015619:Respiratory System Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome