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Life
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Innovations in Thoracic Medicine: Advancements and Challenges—2nd Edition
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Innovations in Thoracic Medicine: Advancements and Challenges—2nd Edition

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 June 2026 | Viewed by 1096

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paolo Scanagatta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Thoracic Surgery, ASST Valtellina e Alto Lario, "Eugenio Morelli" Hospital, 23035 Sondalo, Italy
Interests: lung cancer; pulmonary metastases; surgical oncology; VATS; minimally invasive thoracic surgery; innovative surgical techniques; artificial intelligence; development of medical apps; pleural mesothelioma; respiration physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Topic background and history:

Following the success of the first edition of this Special Issue, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/life/special_issues/QS2Z42QA6V, which gathered valuable insights into the integration of new technologies in thoracic care, we are pleased to announce the launch of its 2nd Edition.

The evolution of medicine in recent years has been strongly linked to technological progress, which has enabled the development of advanced medical devices and minimally invasive tools capable of improving patients’ quality of life in the daily management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, incontinence, and cardiovascular pathologies. These innovations have also made thoracic interventions less invasive—through video-assisted and robotic techniques—allowing for more complex procedures with shorter recovery times.

We can now foresee new scenarios in which robotic systems will become more accessible and serve as the ideal interface for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into thoracic medicine. From this perspective, professional training is essential to fully harness the potential of technological innovation, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Aim and Scope of the Special Issue:

This Special Issue aims to explore the ongoing evolution and future perspectives of innovation in thoracic medicine, highlighting how emerging technologies are reshaping diagnosis, intervention, and long-term patient management.

Furthermore, we raise an important question: what role will Artificial Intelligence play in the near future of thoracic healthcare?

Cutting-edge research:

What does innovation mean today?

Innovation today means ensuring that the most advanced technologies are accessible to the widest possible patient population. It also means optimizing outcomes, life expectancy, and quality of life—while maintaining sustainability and cost-effectiveness within healthcare systems.

In thoracic medicine, these goals translate into minimally invasive and precision-based approaches that reduce complications and recovery times and open new treatment possibilities even for fragile patients.

Technological tools such as augmented reality, 3D reconstruction, and digital simulation models represent major steps forward, improving diagnostic accuracy, enhancing prevention, and enabling non-invasive screening for oncological diseases.

Therefore, research should increasingly focus on precision and personalized medicine, integrating innovative technologies to refine treatment pathways, improve patient experience, and balance accessibility with the sustainability of healthcare systems.

What kind of papers we are soliciting:

We welcome original research, clinical trial reports or protocols, study designs, case series, methodological or technical papers, case perspectives, narrative and systematic reviews, and expert commentaries.

Dr. Paolo Scanagatta
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • thoracic medicine
  • lung cancer
  • artificial intelligence (AI)
  • minimally invasive intervention
  • thoracic anesthesia
  • clinical innovation
  • technological advances

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 880 KB  
Article
Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on 30-Day Mortality and Ventilation Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD): A Retrospective Cohort Study
by Josef Yayan and Kurt Rasche
Life 2026, 16(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16010036 - 25 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 770
Abstract
Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are a major cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and are associated with substantial short-term mortality. Diabetes mellitus is a frequent comorbidity in patients with COPD, yet its impact on short-term outcomes in [...] Read more.
Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are a major cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and are associated with substantial short-term mortality. Diabetes mellitus is a frequent comorbidity in patients with COPD, yet its impact on short-term outcomes in critically ill AECOPD patients remains uncertain. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether diabetes mellitus is independently associated with 30-day mortality in critically ill adult patients admitted to the ICU with AECOPD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult ICU patients with AECOPD using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. All eligible adult patients with a documented diagnosis of AECOPD during the study period were included. Patients were categorized according to the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus was identified based on documented diagnostic codes and clinical records at the time of ICU admission. Demographic variables, laboratory parameters obtained within the first 24 h of ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation requirements were assessed. Mechanical ventilation was initiated according to standard clinical indications, including acute respiratory failure, hypoxemia, or hypercapnia. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, multivariable logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to identify independent predictors of mortality. Results: A total of 5874 ICU patients were included, of whom 2489 (42.3%) had diabetes. Patients with diabetes were slightly younger, more frequently male, and more often received mechanical ventilation than non-diabetic patients. Unadjusted 30-day mortality was lower among diabetic patients (15.3% vs. 17.5%; p = 0.032). However, after adjustment for relevant covariates, diabetes was not an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (HR = 0.80; p = 0.46). Age, male sex, and elevated lactate levels were associated with increased mortality, while early mechanical ventilation showed an association with improved short-term survival. Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus was not independently associated with 30-day mortality in critically ill patients with AECOPD. Short-term outcomes were primarily influenced by age, markers of metabolic stress, and timely ventilatory support. Due to limitations of the database, reliable differentiation between type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and detailed assessment of COPD severity or phenotype were not consistently feasible. Further prospective studies are warranted to clarify the long-term implications of diabetes in this patient population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Thoracic Medicine: Advancements and Challenges—2nd Edition)
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