Preoperative computed tomography-guided pulmonary nodule localization augmented by laser angle guide assembly

There is an increasing need for thoracic medicine specialists to master preoperative localizations after high rates of sub-centimeter nodules have been positively screened by low-dose CT. The Laser Angle Guide Assembly^® (LAGA), an innovative angle reference device for CT-guided pulmonary invasive procedures, has been developed to safely and efficiently aid in the performance of preoperative CT-guided localizations (POCTGL).

The clinical and localization data of patients who received LAGA-assisted POCTGL for pulmonary nodules between May 2015 and June 2018 were collected and analyzed.

One hundred and eighty-seven patients with 266 pulmonary nodules received LAGA-assisted POCTGL. The number of lung nodules localized for one surgery ranged from 1 to 5, with >1 for 22.1% of the surgeries. The median nodule size was 6 mm. A hookwire was inserted in 32 (12%) of the nodules. Most (83.1%) of the localizations were completed with a single puncture. The median angle was 18 degrees. The median and maximum depths of the nodule to pleura were 12 and 60 mm, respectively. The median procedure time was 19 minutes. The successful targeting and field targeting rates were 100% and 98.1%, respectively. Pneumothorax was noted in 17 (6.4%) localizations that did not require chest drainage. The multivariable analyses for pneumothorax showed odds ratios of 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.9) for puncture times/nodule and 10.1 (95% confidence interval, 2.3-41.7) for tumors adjacent to the fissure, respectively. There was no incidence of hookwire migration.

LAGA enhanced the precision of POCTGL by optimizing targeting precision and decreasing repeated punctures, which minimized complications, such as pneumothorax.