MADRID 24 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coordinator of the Teaching and Continuing Training Committee of the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT), Santiago Figueroa, has highlighted the security that thoracic surgery has gained in recent years, while indicating that “postoperative mortality after a lung resection has shown a very significant decrease: from 5-6 percent in previous decades to less than 2 percent today.”
“An achievement that must be attributed largely to improvements in planning and prevention of complications,” explained Figueroa within the framework of the XV SECT Update Course in thoracic surgery. Prevention and Management of Complications in Thoracic Surgery, which is held on October 24 and 25 in Valencia.
In this sense, the SECT has clarified that, in recent years, the main developments for the prevention of complications in thoracic surgery have focused on three fundamental aspects: optimized preoperative preparation, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques and a Postoperative management also improved.
“These advances not only seek to reduce complications, but also accelerate recovery and improve the quality of life of patients,” the SECT points out.
THREE GREAT ADVANCES
The SECT emphasizes that, in preparation for surgery, prehabilitation is becoming standard practice. It consists of an exercise and nutritional optimization program adapted to the patient, which begins weeks before the intervention.
“This improves the lung function and physical capacity of the patient, better preparing them for surgical stress and reducing the risk of postoperative complications. New strategies are being developed, such as a free ‘app’ for mobile phones, that try to make this task as easy as possible. “said Figueroa.
In surgery, CMI techniques, such as video thoracoscopy (VATS) and robotic surgery (RATS), are new approaches that have revolutionized the way lung resections and many other procedures are performed. “Through small incisions and with the help of specialized cameras and tools, we can carry out surgeries very precisely and with less damage to surrounding tissues. This translates into faster recovery, less postoperative pain and a reduction significantly in the risk of complications such as infections and respiratory problems,” reports Figueroa.
Likewise, the SECT spokesperson points out that postoperative management has also experienced important advances. Thus, he explained that protocols are currently used that seek optimal pain management, early mobilization of patients and specific respiratory physiotherapy techniques.
“In addition, the application of new technologies, such as digital chest drainage systems, allow more precise and continuous monitoring of the patient’s condition, detecting complications more quickly and facilitating their resolution. All of these concepts are usually included today in the so-called protocols. ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery), which include the pre-, intra- and postoperative phases, and whose main objective is to standardize the surgical treatment of patients as much as possible,” they explain from the SECT.
