title: Current status of nontuberculous mycobacterial surgery in Japan: analysis of data from the annual survey by the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of pulmonary disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been increasing in Japan. Adjuvant resectional surgery is often recommended to lessen disease progression when the response to drug therapy is poor. In all likelihood, as affected cases of NTM disease increase, so will the number of operations. The goal of this study was to determine the current status of NTM surgery in Japan by analyzing data from the annual survey of the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery (JATS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from annual surveys conducted between 2008 and 2012. The annual number of operations for pulmonary NTM disease was tabulated nationwide and in each region (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokyo, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku/Shikoku, and Kyushu). For comparison, the numbers for pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculoma operations were also obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual number of operations for pulmonary NTM disease nationwide increased each year between 2008 and 2012: 292 (2008), 323 (2009), 452 (2010), 440 (2011), and 514 (2012); an overall increase of 76%. Conversely, the annual numbers of operations for pulmonary tuberculosis were stable: 145 (2008), 181 (2009), 117 (2010), 113 (2011), and 107 (2012), as were the annual numbers of operations for tuberculoma: 386 (2008), 341 (2009), 320 (2010), 390 (2011), and 351 (2012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from the JATS annual survey demonstrate a steady increase in the number of NTM surgeries in Japan. General thoracic surgeons will continue to increasingly encounter NTM patients who are candidates for surgery until a magic bullet against NTM disease is available.
authors.affiliation: Section of Chest Surgery, Fukujuji Hospital, 3-1-24 Matsuyama, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8522, Japan. yujishi@mvb.biglobe.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000601:surgery*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000601:surgery*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014375:Tuberculoma / Q000601:surgery; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Nontuberculous mycobacteriosis; Resectional surgery; Tuberculoma; Tuberculosis