A comparison of bronchial blocker under artificial pneumothorax and double-lumen endobronchial tube for lung isolation in thoracoscopic enucleation of oesophageal leiomyoma

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal leiomyomas are one of the most common benign oesophageal tumours. This retrospective, observational study summarized and compared the clinical outcomes of thoracoscopic enucleation of oesophageal leiomyoma between single-lumen endotracheal intubation with a bronchial blocker and double-lumen endotracheal intubation. METHODS: A total of 36 patients who underwent thoracoscopic enucleation of oesophageal leiomyoma at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2014 and 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Fifteen patients received single-lumen endotracheal intubation combined with a right bronchial blocker (SLT-B group), and twenty-one patients received double-lumen endotracheal intubation (DLT group). Clinical data, surgical variables, and postoperative complications were analysed and compared. RESULTS: The average tumour size in all patients was 4.3 ± 2.0 cm. The average tumour size among symptomatic patients was significantly larger than that among asymptomatic patients (5.1 ± 2.0 cm vs 3.7 ± 1.7 cm, P < 0.05). Patients in the SLT-B group had a significantly larger average tumour size than patients in the DLT group (5.4 ± 2.1 cm vs 3.5 ± 1.4 cm, P < 0.05). The SLT-B group had a significantly shorter operation time and shorter total hospital stay than the DLT group. No mucosal injury, conversion to thoracotomy, or other operative complications occurred in the SLT-B group. In the follow-up, no recurrence, dysphagia, or regurgitation was found in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional double-lumen intubation, artificial pneumothorax-assisted single-lumen endotracheal intubation combined with a bronchial blocker for thoracoscopic oesophageal leiomyoma enucleation can achieve complete removal of larger tumours, with fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.