DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN THORACIC SURGERY. AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH. 4TH EDITION

Introduction
1. Evidence Based Medicine: Quality of Evidence and Evaluation Systems
2. Decision Analytic Techniques and Other Decision Processes
3. Decision Making: The Surgeon’s Perspective
4. Involving Patients in Difficult Decisions About Having Surgery
5. EBUS vs. Mediastinoscopy for Initial Pathologic Mediastinal Staging in NSCLC
6. Does Preoperative Smoking Cessation Reduce Surgical Morbidity After Lung Resection?
7. Is Low Tech as Good as High Tech Exercise Testing in Assessing Healthy Candidates for Lung Resection?
8. Does Assessment of Frailty and Sarcopenia in Lung Resection Candidates Affect Patient Selection?
9. Can Frailty and Sarcopenia Be Mitigated in Lung Resection Candidates?
10. Is Antibiotic Prophylaxis Necessary for Major Lung Resection?
11. Uniportal Versus Multiportal VATS Lobectomy
12. Robotic Versus Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) Major Lung Resection for Early Stage NSCLC
13. Does Blood Patch for Persistent Postoperative Air Leak Reduce Air Leak Duration
14. Is Resection of Persistent N2 Disease After Induction Therapy Effective?
15. N2 Disease Discovered at the Time of Vats Lung Resection: Resect or Abort?
16. Does Induction Immunotherapy Confer Increased Operative Risk for Lung Resection?
17. Does an Enhanced Recovery Program for Lobectomy Improve Surgical Outcomes?
18. Resection vs. SBRT for Stage I NSCLC in Patients with Good Pulmonary Function
19. Do Endobronchial Valves Assist in Resolution of Postoperative Persistent Air Leak?
20. Is Long-Term Surveillance Effective After Resection of Stage I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer?
21. Does ECMO for Lung Failure in ICU Patients Improve Survival?
22. Does Local Therapy for Oligometastatic Disease in Lung Cancer Patients Improve Survival?
23. Is Pulmonary Metastasectomy Effective in Prolonging Survival?
24. Surgical Resection Versus Endoscopic Therapy for T1bN0 Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
25. Does Induction Therapy for T2N0 Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Patients Improve Survival?
26. Can Frailty and Sarcopenia Be Mitigated in Esophagectomy Candidates?
27. Do Enhanced Recovery Programs for Esophagectomy Patients Improve Outcomes?
28. Does Jejunostomy Tube Feeding Improve Outcomes After Esophagectomy?
29. Surgery Versus Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Regionally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer
30. Robotic Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (RAMIE) vs. Open Esophagectomy (OE) for Resectable Esophageal Cancer
31. Two-Field vs. Three-Field Lymphadenectomy for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
32. What Is the Appropriate Extent of Lymph Node Dissection in Esophageal Cancer
33. Salvage Esophagectomy for Persistent or Recurrent Disease After Chemoradiation
34. Early Oral Feeding After Esophagectomy
35. Stent vs. Primary Repair for Esophageal Perforation
36. Endoluminal Vacuum Therapy vs. Stenting for Esophageal Anastomotic Leaks
37. Thoracoscopic Versus Endoscopic Therapy for Small Sub-epithelial Esophageal Tumors
38. Laparoscopic vs. Endoscopic Therapy for Achalasia
39. Laparoscopy or Endoscopic Therapy for Recurrent Symptoms from Achalasia
40. Laparoscopy or Thoracotomy for Symptomatic Recurrent Paraesophageal Hernia
41. Does Diaphragm Pacing for Bilateral Phrenic Nerve Paralysis Improve Function or Quality of Life?
42. Does Phrenic Nerve Reconstruction for Unilateral Diaphragm Paralysis Improve Function or Quality of Life
43. Is Plication for Diaphragmatic Eventration Effective in Improving Lung Function?
44. Is Long-Term Stenting for Benign Airway Obstruction Effective?
45. Are Engineered Tissues Useful for Tracheal Reconstruction?
46. Management of Positive Margins After Resection of Primary Tracheal Malignancies
47. Optimal Management of Posttransplant Bronchial Stenosis: Stenting or Reoperation
48. Is tPA/DNase Effective in the Management of Pleural Empyema?
49. VATS vs Open Management of Pleural Empyema
50. Indwelling Pleural Catheters Versus Talc Pleurodesis for Recurrent Symptomatic Malignant Pleural Effusions
51. Quality of Life: Extended Pleurectomy/Decortication vs Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
52. Does Thymectomy Improve Outcomes in Patients with Nonthymomatous Myasthenia Gravis?
53. Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Evaluation of Suspected Encapsulated Thymoma
54. Robotic vs. Thoracoscopic Thymectomy for Thymoma
55. VATS for Resection of Mediastinal Parathyroid Adenomas
56. Thymectomy in the Setting of Pleural Metastasis
57. Sympathectomy for Malignant Ventricular Arrhythmias
58. The Extent of Surgery for Palmar Hyperhidrosis
59. Synthetic Versus Biologic Reconstruction of Bony Chest Wall Defects
60. Traumatic Rib Fracture in the Absence of Flail Chest: Conservative Therapy or Surgical Fixation?
61. Is Surgical Management of Flail Chest Effective?
62. Epidural vs Regional Blocks for VATS and Thoracotomy
63. The Nuss Procedure Versus the Modified Ravitch Repair for Pectus Excavatum in Adults

This updated volume provides a practical guide to decision making within thoracic surgery. Focussed chapters contain pithy analyses and recommendations that allow useful information to be identified at a glance. All new chapters bring insight into the challenges faced operating on the lung, esophagus, diaphragm, airway, pleaura, mediastinum, and chest wall.
Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery aims to help the reader navigate the complexities of thoracic surgery through clearly formatted and evidence-based chapters. The book is relevant to practicing and trainee surgeons, as well as medical professionals working within thoracic surgery.

Features
• Features new chapters on challenges faced operating on the lung and esophagus
• Contains a practical focus detailing information in an easy-to-digest format
• Provides recommendations of best practice for a range of scenarios

Author
Mark K. Ferguson, MD, is Professor of Surgery at University of Chicago Medical Center. He specializes in the surgical management of malignant and benign thoracic diseases. He has served on the boards and committees of numerous national societies and institutions including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ferguson has edited or authored books on esophageal reconstructive surgery, failed anti-reflux therapy, and decision-making in thoracic surgery, and two atlases of general thoracic surgery. Dr. Ferguson serves as an editor or associate editor for a number of cardiothoracic surgery journals. His research interests include risk analysis, long-term outcomes after cancer surgery, bias in medical care, and surgical education.