Single-center experience in the surgical treatment of combined lung Echinococcosis

OBJECTIVES: To compare results of surgical treatment and complications of patients with unilateral or bilateral thoracic and combined pulmonary echinococcosis. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis of a prospective study was conducted in the Department of Thoracic and Pediatric Surgery, Scientific Center of Surgery, Almaty, Kazakhstan among 598 patients with pulmonary echinococcosis, who had surgical treatment with various surgical methods, depending on the prevalence of echinococcosis, as follows: right lung in 357 (59.5%) patients, left lung in 243 (40.5%) patients, bilateral in 95 (15.8%) patients, and complicated echinococcosis in 317 (52.8%) patients. Length of stay per hospital stay has been decreased (p<0.0001) by video-thoracoscopic echinococcectomy with the high-energy laser (HEL) treatment of cyst, than after echinococcectomy by cyst treatment with povidone-iodine. Treatment with formalin presented the most longest hospital stay (p<0.0001) RESULTS: Comparative analysis of patients with uncomplicated and complicated pulmonary echinococcosis showed a high frequency of postoperative complications associated with complicated echinococcosis (OR = 2.2, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Despite the success of surgical treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis, issues of intraoperative dissemination and safety remain, and treatment success rates can be improved. These factors require further prospective multicenter studies.