TABLE 5.
SURGICAL VARIABLES IN RELATION TO AIR LEAK OCCURRING AFTER CHEST CLOSURE WITHIN 30 DAYS OF LUNG VOLUME REDUCTION SURGERY
| Air Leak
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | n | % of 552 | n | % of n | P |
| Surgical approach* | 0.9 | ||||
| Median sternotomy | 382 | 69 | 344 | 90 | |
| VATS | 165 | 30 | 148 | 90 | |
| Staple line buttressing | |||||
| Pericardium | 399 | 73 | 363 | 91 | 0.14 |
| PTFE | 166 | 30 | 146 | 88 | 0.3 |
| Fibrin glue | 32 | 5.8 | 27 | 84 | 0.3 |
| None | 26 | 4.7 | 25 | 96 | 0.4 |
| Stapler | |||||
| U.S. Surgical | 384 | 69 | 309 | 80 | 0.2 |
| Ethicon | 174 | 31 | 142 | 82 | 0.19 |
| 3M | 20 | 3.6 | 18 | 90 | 0.9 |
| Intraoperative adjunct procedures | |||||
| Tenting | 60 | 11 | 55 | 92 | 0.6 |
| Pleurodesis | 53 | 9.7 | 48 | 91 | 0.8 |
Definition of abbreviations: PTFE = polytetrafluoroethylene; VATS = video-assisted thorascopic surgery.
Reproduced by permission from Reference 3. Categories are generally not mutually exclusive, and not all missing values have been identified, although they were uncommon and are not included in computations. For surgical approach, the P value represents a statistical comparison of air leak occurrence between the two techniques. For the choice of stapler, buttressing material, or adjunct procedures, the P value represents a comparison between the reference product or technique and all alternatives.
In two patients, a clamshell incision was used, and in three patients, a thoracotomy was performed on one side.