title: A novel and simple method for identifying the lung intersegmental plane using thermography.
abstract: Identifying the intersegmental plane is very important for successful lung segmentectomy. Although several methods are available, they require specialized skills and pose a potential risk of losing sight of the correct intersegmental planes. Therefore, easier and more reliable methods are required. In this study, we hypothesized that surface temperatures of resecting segments or lobes decrease because of blood flow suppression after the ligation of target arteries and veins, and intersegmental planes can be visualized using a thermography. To test this hypothesis, we performed six lung resections (two lobectomies and four segmentectomies) on three pigs and, using a handheld thermography, we monitored the lung surface temperatures to identify intersegmental planes. We demonstrated that thermal imaging sharply demarcated intersegmental planes soon after the ligation of vessels in all procedures. Compared with other methods, thermography requires no special technical skills, drug injection and lung inflation. Therefore, we believe that the thermographic method described in this study will be a powerful option to identify intersegmental planes during anatomical lung segmentectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan kanzaki@twmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitsuboshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tamami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murasugi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takamasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D023421:Models, Animal; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D013817:Thermography
keywords: Intersegmental plane; Segmentectomy; Sublobar resection; Thermography