Various marking techniques for lung nodules may be complex and can cause serious complications. In this study, we aimed to describe and evaluate the feasibility of CTFRC marking, a novel preoperative skin marking technique guided by computed tomography (CT) at functional residual capacity (FRC). This simple and non-invasive marking technique only requires a preoperative CT scan without any anaesthesia. We retrospectively reviewed CTFRC markings performed for 109 lung nodules in 108 patients. The mean nodule size was 11.4 ± 5.0 mm. The mean distance from the nodule to the lung marking point was 3.8 ± 7.3 mm. We found no procedure-associated complications. CTFRC marking is a simple, safe and non-invasive method to predict the precise location of lung nodules during thoracoscopic surgery.
Keywords: Computed tomography; Functional residual capacity; Lung; Marking; Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.