Computed tomography-guided suture anchor localizer placement for multiple pulmonary nodule localization

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT)-guided suture anchor localizer (SAL) placement is a common method for preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules (PNs) before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
• Limited evidence exists for the application of SAL placement in cases involving multiple PNs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of CT-guided SAL placement for the simultaneous localization of multiple PNs.
• To compare outcomes between multiple PN localization and single PN localization.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, 2-center study included patients undergoing CT-guided SAL placement for multiple PNs followed by VATS resection.
• A control group of patients with single PN localization was used for comparison.
• Clinical outcomes and procedural complications were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Technical success for SAL placement was 100% in both multiple (106 PNs in 49 patients) and single (163 PNs in 163 patients) nodule groups.
• Localization time was significantly longer for multiple PNs.
• Pneumothorax and intrapulmonary hemorrhage rates were higher in the multiple-PN group but VATS sublobar resection success remained 100% in both groups.

Conclusions:

• CT-guided SAL placement is a reliable and safe method for preoperative localization of multiple PNs.
• The findings support the clinical utility of this technique for patients undergoing VATS for multiple pulmonary nodules.