{"title":"[Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction for Severe Emphysema].","authors":"Takuma Nakano, Hirotsugu Notsuda, Ken Onodera, Tatsuaki Watanabe, Takashi Hirama, Yoshinori Okada","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) using endobronchial valves is a minimally invasive treatment for severe emphysema. Although lung volume reduction surgery( LVRS) has been employed in selected patients, its high complication rate and limited functional improvement have led to a shift toward non-surgical options. In September 2024, we performed our first BLVR procedure in a transplant candidate who met all eligibility criteria. The patient showed improvement in symptoms and pulmonary function. However, case recruitment remains challenging due to the strict inclusion criteria and limited awareness of BLVR. We report our initial clinical experience, highlight issues in patient selection and recruitment, and discuss the potential of BLVR as a bridging therapy for lung transplantation. In addition, we emphasize its possible utility in elderly or inoperable patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Broader dissemination and revision of current eligibility criteria may facilitate wider adoption of this promising therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"503-507"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Distal Stent Graft-induced New Entry on the Lesser Curvature of Distal Aortic Arch:Report of a Case].","authors":"Toshifumi Saga, Masataka Koga, Shoichiro Izuka, Hiroyuki Miyagawa","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 62-year-old male was admitted for cerebral hemorrhage, enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm in the distal arch. Following cerebral hemorrhage treatment, the patient was referred to our department and underwent a total arch replacement using the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique. The patient was followed up regularly post operatively at our hospital. Enhanced CT at 31 months post surgery revealed a distal stent graft-induced new entry (dSINE) on the lesser curvature of the distal arch. Additional thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) was performed. Although dSINE can be caused by various factors, it is usually seen on the greater curvature of the aorta and is relatively rare on the lesser curvature, as in this case in Japan. We will discuss the mechanisms underlying the development of dSINE on the lesser curvature with reference to the literature.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"562-566"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Anterolateral Partial Sternotomy as an Effective Approach for Open Repair After Debranching Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair in Aortic Arch Aneurysm].","authors":"Mitsuru Sato, Takaaki Hayashi, Satoshi Taniguchi, Tomoyuki Goto","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become a common minimally invasive option for aortic surgery, often accompanied by debranching of the aortic arch branches. However, TEVAR-specific complications occasionally necessitate open repair. In such cases, especially in patients with complex aortic arch pathology, the choice of surgical approach is critical. In this case, considering the unique background of cold agglutinin disease, we opted for an anterolateral partial sternotomy approach. This approach provided excellent exposure for aortic manipulation and allowed preservation of the existing bypass grafts, contributing to a successful outcome. We believe that this technique can be effectively applied in similar complex cases requiring open repair after debranching TEVAR.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"551-555"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Surgery for Cardiac Rhabdomyosarcoma in Jehovah's Witnesses:Report of a Case].","authors":"Hideo Tsunemoto, Yoshinori Otsu, Keisuke Senda","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Primary cardiac malignant neoplasms are rare, and rhabdomyosarcoma is the second most common cardiac sarcoma. We herein report a rare case of 70-year-old female with a cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma in the posterior wall of the left atrium. She was a member of Jehovah's Witnesses. We performed surgical tumor resection and mitral valve replacement because of apparent tumor invasion to the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve without blood transfusion. Postoperative course was uneventful and she was scheduled to undergo proton beam therapy. This is the first case report of surgically treated cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma in a Jehovah's Witness.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"557-561"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Surgical Treatment of Emphysema].","authors":"Chihiro Konoeda","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and lung transplantation are surgical treatment options for emphysema. While lung transplantation is generally considered to be the final treatment option because of its high risk, it can be considered as the first option in patients aged <60 years with severe respiratory failure and %FEV1.0 <20%. Patients with %FEV1.0 20-45% and computed tomography (CT) findings of heterogeneously distributed emphysema, with better preserved lung tissue in some areas compared with other areas, may be suitable candidates for LVRS. In particular, patients with predominantly upper lung zone emphysema are more likely to benefit from LVRS than other patients. In this report, we describe three emphysema patients who underwent LVRS, and then discuss the essential factors that should be taken into consideration during candidate selection for LVRS or lung transplantation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"531-535"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Therapeutic Experience with Three-port Thoracoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Surgery for Emphysema].","authors":"Souichiro Suzuki, Sakashi Fujimori, Takahiro Karasaki, Shinichiro Kikunaga, Yosuke Hamada, Shusei Mihara","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lung volume reduction surgery( LVRS) and lung transplantation have proven to be effective surgical treatments for emphysema. However, since the results of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) study, there has been a sharp decline in the number of LVRS cases in Japan, and few patients are eligible for lung transplantation due to donor problems, so bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is expected to be an effective treatment in the future. In our department, LVRS was performed in 22 cases out of approximately 10,000 thoracoscopic procedures from 1999 to 2024. The overall postoperative forced expiratory volume in on second (FEV1.0) improvement rate was 45%, especially 61% for bilateral surgery. If postoperative complications can be safely controlled, LVRS can be expected to have better outcomes than BLVR for bilateral upper lobe dominant forms of emphysema.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"541-545"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Volume Reduction Surgery for Advanced Emphysema is Still Worthwhile to Be Considered].","authors":"Tadasu Kohno","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lung volume reduction surgery for emphysema became popular in 1990's and became less common afterward. In emphysema patients, pleural pressure becomes positive and it restricts the diaphragm movement and the patency of bronchioles. The pleural pressure becomes negative after reducing the lung volume and make the diaphragm motion better and keep the bronchioles open. In order not to compromise the respiratory muscle, this operation is usually performed through median sternotomy or thoracoscopic approach. These days, the buttress materials were improved and there are still report for good results of this procedure, I believe this procedure should be one of the option for emphysema patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"510-513"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Lung Volume Reduction for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease].","authors":"Yuriko Terada, Hirotaka Yuki, Satoshi Nishikawa, Takashi Wada, Daisuke Saito, Seiichi Kakegawa, Isao Matsumoto","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing with population aging and currently ranks as the third leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for approximately three million deaths annually. COPD is characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction, mainly caused by reduced lung elastic recoil due to peripheral airway lesions and emphysema. This condition results in lung hyperinflation, causing dyspnea, reduced exercise capacity, decreased physical activity, and an increased risk of heart failure. For patients with severe COPD unresponsive to medical therapies, surgical interventions, such as lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR), or lung transplantation, are considered. LVRS improves respiratory function by surgically removing hyperinflated lung tissue;however, due to its invasiveness and complication risks, fewer than 20 cases are performed annually in Japan. In contrast, BLVR, particularly bronchoscopic valve placement, is less invasive and has demonstrated effectiveness, especially in patients without collateral ventilation, and was approved for insurance coverage in Japan in 2023. Recent trials indicate BLVR significantly improves respiratory function and quality of life, though pneumothorax remains a notable complication. Appropriate patient selection based on clinical features, imaging findings, and pulmonary function evaluation is crucial, emphasizing individualized therapeutic strategies for COPD management.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"515-521"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Early and Long-term Results of Lung Volume Reduction Surgery for Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patient with Target Area Not Restricted in Upper Lobe].","authors":"Kouji Chihara, Masanao Nakai, Hisashi Sahara, Shigeki Tamari","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The basic patient selection criteria in lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is that the target area (TA) is located in the upper lobe since National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT). TA could be described as \"airoma\" (AO) with excess residual volume and poor perfusion, which compresses the adjacent lung and heart during expiration and causes dyspnea during walking. After Cooper's landmark report, we defined AO not only by functional static images such as high resolution computed tomography(HRCT) and perfusion scintigrams but also dynamic image of magnetic resonance imaging( MRI)during ventilation, and selected 36 patients with a mean age of 69 years, body mass index (BMI) of 18 kg/m2, modified Medical Research Council( mMRC) of 2.7, PaO2 of 68 mmHg, PaCO2 of 44 mmHg, forced expiratory volume in on second( FEV1)% of 29, % residual volume( RV) of 255, 6-min walk of 285 m, and VO2 max of 12.5 ml/kg/min from October 1995 to October 2015. AO was located in the upper lobe in 19 patients, in the lower lobe in 13 patients, and in the middle lobe or bi-lobes in 4 patients. Reduction of AO was performed by median sternotomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). There was zero 90-day operative mortality and zero in-hospital mortality. Thirty-three of 36 patients were satisfied with decrease in dyspnea during walking, and three disappointed. The median follow-up for all patients was 4.5 years. The 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates in the upper lobe group were 100%, 94%, and 49%, respectively, compared with 92%, 77%, and 54%, respectively, in the lower lobe group. There was no difference in survival between the two groups. We believe that selected patients with lower lobe AO are candidates for LVRS, as well as upper lobe AO.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"522-529"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Lung Volume Reduction Surgery in the Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Era:Reassessment of Indications and Strategies].","authors":"Shin Tanaka, Yasuaki Tomioka, Haruchika Yamamoto, Hidejiro Torigoe, Kazuhiko Shien, Ken Suzawa, Kentaroh Miyoshi, Mikio Okazaki, Seiichiro Sugimoto, Shinichi Toyooka","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction( BLVR) and lung volume reduction surgery( LVRS) represent two complementary strategies in the management of advanced emphysema. BLVR has emerged as a minimally invasive and reversible approach, demonstrating significant clinical benefit in carefully selected patients without collateral ventilation, supported by advances in physiological assessment and imaging technologies. LVRS, by contrast, remains a well-validated surgical option offering sustained improvements in pulmonary mechanics, exercise tolerance, and quality of life, particularly in patients with heterogeneous upper-lobe predominant disease. Recent randomized trials have underscored the comparable efficacy of both modalities, highlighting the need for individualized, phenotype-driven treatment planning. A multidisciplinary, individualized approach is essential to optimize treatment selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":17841,"journal":{"name":"Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery","volume":"78 7","pages":"492-496"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}