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Objectives: To evaluate the use of systemic therapy and overall survival in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer whose pathologic tumor size was within 2 mm of a T-stage cutoff., Methods: This was retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Database of patients who underwent resection of tumors within 2 mm of the T1c/T2a, T2a/T2b, and T2b/T3 T-stage cutoffs. Patients with nodal involvement or whose T stage was determined on the basis of pathologic features other than tumor size were excluded. A multistate model compared the primary outcomes of systemic therapy and overall survival., Results: From the National Cancer Database, 18,490 patients were identified: 9966 at the T1c/T2a cutoff, 5593 at the T2a/T2b cutoff, and 2931 at the T2b/T3 cutoff. Peaks in tumor size distribution occurred at 5-mm intervals. On the basis of an expected normalized curve, 2050 patients (11.1%) may have been understaged. Use of systemic therapy was greater among patients with larger tumors at the T1c/T2a cutoff (7.1% vs 8.9%; P < .001), the T2a/T2b cutoff (20.0% vs 25.5%; P < .001), and the T2b/T3 cutoff (31.2% vs 41.8%; P < .001). In a multistate model, mortality was greater above the T1c/T2a cutoff (hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; P = .01), T2a/T2b cutoff (HR, 1.17; P < .01), and T2b/T3 cutoff (HR, 1.13; P = .03). In patients who received systemic therapy, this trend was eliminated (HR, 1.24; P = .14, HR, 0.79; P = .07, and HR, 1.23; P = .09, respectively)., Conclusions: Rounding of tumor size for pathologic staging is common. Although seemingly trivial, rounding may downstage patients and is associated with decreased rates of adjuvant therapy use and potentially worse overall survival., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare outcomes of single-lung retransplantation (SLRTx) and double-lung retransplantation (DLRTx) after an initial double-lung transplantation., Methods: The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing database between May 2005 and December 2022 was retrospectively analyzed. Multiorgan transplantations, repeated retransplantations, and lung retransplantations when the status of the initial transplantation was unknown were excluded., Results: A total of 891 patients were included in the analysis, included 698 (78.3%) with DLRTx and 193 (21.7%) with SLRTx. The mean lung allocation score was higher in the DLRTx group (59.6 ± 20.7 vs 55.1 ± 19.3; P = .007). The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) bridge to lung transplantation was similar in the 2 groups (P = .125), as was waitlist time (P = .610). The need for mechanical ventilation (54.6% vs 35.8%; P = .005) and ECMO (17.9% vs 9.0%; P = .069) at 72 hours post-transplantation was greater in the DLRTx group. However, median post-transplantation hospital stay (21.5 [interquartile range (IQR), 12-35] days versus 20 [IQR, 12-35] days; P = .119) and in-hospital mortality (10.9% [n = 76/698] vs 12.4% [n = 24/193]; P = .547) were comparable in the 2 groups. Long-term survival was significantly better in the DLRTx group (P < .001, log-rank test). In the propensity score-weighted multivariable model, the DLRTx group had 28% lower risk of mortality at any point during follow-up compared to the SLRTx group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.91; P = .006)., Conclusions: The less invasiveness of single-lung transplantation in the retransplantation setting has minimal short-term benefit and is associated with significantly worse long-term survival. Double-lung retransplantation should remain the standard for lung retransplantation after initial double-lung transplantation., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be detected for extended periods of time with nucleic acid amplification test even after transmissibility becomes negligible. Lung allografts from COVID-19-positive donors have been used for transplantation in highly selected cases. This study aimed to clarify the early outcomes of lung transplantation with COVID-19-positive donors., Methods: The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing database between April 2020 and June 2022 was retrospectively analyzed., Results: In the study period, 1297 COVID-19-positive donors were identified and the lungs were transplanted from 47 donors (3.6%). Of 47 donors, 44 donors were positive for COVID-19 NAT with nasopharyngeal swabs and the other 3 were positive with bronchoalveolar lavage. The COVID-19-positive lung donors were younger than the COVID-19-negative donors (28.4 ± 11.6 years vs 35.4 ± 13.6 years, P < .001). Recipients of the COVID-19-positive lungs (n = 47) were more likely have a greater lung allocation score (57.1 ± 22.9 vs 50.5 ± 19.7, P = .057) than recipients of COVID-19-negative lungs (n = 5501). The posttransplant length of hospital stay (39.8 ± 43.6 days vs 30.6 ± 34.5 days, P = .181), need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support at 72 hours after transplantation (2.6% [1/38] vs 10.4% [541/5184], P = .18), and 1-year overall survival rate (85.6% vs 87.1%, P = .63) were comparable between the 2 groups., Conclusions: Carefully selected lung allografts from COVID-19-positive donors had comparable early posttransplant outcomes to lung allografts from COVID-19-negative donors., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the influence of comorbid psychiatric disorders (PSYD) on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy., Methods: A retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2016 to 2018 was performed. Patients with lung cancer with and without psychiatric comorbidities who underwent pulmonary lobectomy were collated and analyzed (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders [F01-99]). The association of PSYD with complications, length of stay, and readmissions was assessed using a multivariable regression analysis. Additional subgroup analyses were performed., Results: A total of 41,691 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 27.84% (11,605) of the patients had at least 1 PSYD. PSYD was associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative complications (relative risk, 1.041; 95% CI, 1.015-1.068; P = .0018), pulmonary complications (relative risk, 1.125; 95% CI, 1.08-1.171; P < .0001), longer length of stay (PSYD mean, 6.79 days and non-PSYD mean, 5.68 days; P < .0001), higher 30-day readmission rate (9.2% vs 7.9%; P < .0001), and 90-day readmission rate (15.4% vs 12.9%; P < .007). Among patients with PSYD, those with cognitive disorders and psychotic disorders (eg, schizophrenia) appear to have the highest rates and risks of postoperative morbidity and in-hospital mortality., Conclusions: Patients with lung cancer with comorbid psychiatric disorders undergoing lobectomy experience worse postoperative outcomes with longer hospitalization, increased rates of overall and pulmonary complications, and greater readmissions suggesting potential opportunities for improved psychiatric care during the perioperative period., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The study objective was to develop a generalizable financial model that estimates payor-specific reimbursements associated with anatomic lung resections for any hospital-based thoracic surgery practice., Methods: Medical records of patients who presented to the thoracic surgery clinic and eventually underwent an anatomic lung resection from January 2019 to December 2020 were reviewed. The volume of preoperative and postoperative studies, clinic visits, and outpatient referrals was measured. Neither subsequent studies nor procedures from outpatient referrals were captured. Diagnosis-related group, cost-to-charge ratios, Current Procedural Terminology Medicare payment data, and Private:Medicare and Medicaid:Medicare payment ratios were used to estimate payor-specific reimbursements and operating margin., Results: A total of 111 patients met inclusion criteria and underwent 113 operations: 102 (90%) lobectomies, 7 (6%) segmentectomies, and 4 (4%) pneumonectomies. These patients underwent 554 total studies, received 60 referrals to other specialties, and had 626 total clinic visits. The total charges and Medicare reimbursement were $12.5 M and $2.7 M, respectively. After adjusting for a 41% Medicare, 2% Medicaid, and 57% Private payor mix, the total reimbursement was $4.7 M. With a 0.252 cost-to-charge ratio, total costs and operating income were $3.2 M and $1.5 M, respectively (ie, 33% operating margin). Average reimbursement per surgery by payor was $51k for Private, $29k for Medicare, and $23k for Medicaid., Conclusions: For any hospital-based thoracic surgery practice, this novel financial model can calculate both overall and payor-specific reimbursements, costs, and operating margin across the full perioperative spectrum. By manipulating hospital name, hospital state, volume, and payor mix, any program can gain insights into their financial contributions and use the outputs to guide investment decisions., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Increased attention has been dedicated to gender inequity at scientific meetings. This study evaluated the gender distribution of session leaders at cardiothoracic surgery national and regional meetings., Methods: This is a descriptive study of the gender of peer-selected session leaders at 4 cardiothoracic surgery organizations' annual meetings from 2015 to 2019. Session leaders included moderators, panelists, and invited discussants. Data from publicly available programs were used to generate a list of session leaders and organization leaders. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of female session leaders at annual meetings. Descriptive analyses were performed, including the Cochran-Armitage trend test for linear trends of proportions., Results: A total of 679 sessions over 20 meetings were examined. Of the 3662 session leaders, 480 (13.1%) were women. The proportion of total female session leaders trended positively over time from 9.6% (56 of 581) in 2015 to 15.9% (169 of 1060) in 2019 (P = .001). Among specialty topic sessions, female session leaders were distributed as follows: adult cardiac, 6.9% (81 of 1172); congenital cardiac, 10.8% (47 of 437); and thoracic, 23.2% (155 of 668). The proportion of female session leaders trended significantly only for thoracic sessions (20.6% [21 of 102] in 2015 to 29.2% [58 of 199] in 2019; P = .02). More than one-half of the sessions (57.4%; 390 of 679) featured all-male session leadership., Conclusions: Women remain underrepresented in leadership roles at cardiothoracic surgery organizational meetings. This may deter female applicants and has implications for female surgeons' career trajectories; therefore, attention must be given to the potential for unconscious bias in leadership in cardiothoracic surgery., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: This study explored cardiothoracic surgeons' perceptions of health services research and practice guidelines, particularly how both influence providers' clinical decision-making., Methods: A trained interviewer conducted open-ended, semistructured phone interviews with cardiothoracic surgeons across the United States. The interviews explored surgeons' experiences with lung cancer treatment and their perceptions of health services research and guidelines. Researchers coded the transcribed interviews using conventional content analysis. Interviews continued until thematic saturation was reached., Results: The 27 surgeons interviewed mostly were general thoracic surgeons (23/27) who attend tumor board weekly (21/27). Five themes relating to physician perceptions of health services research and guidelines emerged. Databases analyses' inherent selection bias and perceived deficit of pertinent clinical variables made providers skeptical of using these studies as primary decision drivers; however, providers thought that database analyses are useful to supplement other data and drive future research. Likewise, providers generally felt that although guidelines provide a useful framework, they often have difficulty applying guidelines to individual patients. An analysis of provider characteristics revealed that younger physicians in practice for fewer years appeared more likely to report using guidelines, and physicians who were aged 50 years or more and not purely academic surgeons appeared to find database analyses less impactful., Conclusions: Health services research, including database analyses, comprise much of the surgical literature; however, this study suggests that perceptions of database analyses and guidelines are mixed and questions whether thoracic surgeons routinely use either to inform their decisions. Researchers must address how to present compelling data to influence clinical practice., (Copyright © 2020 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with thymomas remain incompletely understood. The objective was to examine the association between surgically resected thymomas and paraneoplastic syndromes over the past half century., Methods: A primary PubMed/MEDLINE search was used to identify published articles describing paraneoplastic syndromes associated with thymomas from 1960 to 2019. A secondary search identified additional articles referenced in the articles found in the primary search. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test were used for time-to-event data analyses., Results: From 407 articles describing 507 patients, 123 different paraneoplastic syndromes were associated with thymoma. The 5 most common paraneoplastic syndromes were myasthenia gravis, pure red cell aplasia, lichen planus, Good syndrome, and limbic encephalitis. Complete or partial resolution of paraneoplastic syndrome symptoms after surgery was noted in 76% of patients, of whom 21% had a relapse or new paraneoplastic syndrome onset after surgery. The most common adjunctive therapy associated with resolution of paraneoplastic syndrome was corticosteroids (30%). For all patients after surgery, thymoma recurrence was observed in 17% of cases, whereas recurrence of paraneoplastic syndrome was observed in 34% of cases, and both were observed in approximately 11% of cases. The 5- and 10-year overall survivals were 78% and 66%, respectively. Improved overall survival was associated with patients who had total resolution from paraneoplastic syndrome., Conclusions: A comprehensive assessment of publications over the past half century suggests that a multimodal treatment approach that includes surgical resection of thymomas is able to achieve paraneoplastic syndrome resolution in a majority of patients. Onset of new paraneoplastic syndromes after surgery is associated with the recurrence of the first paraneoplastic syndrome, and resolution of paraneoplastic syndrome is associated with improved overall survival., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)