Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.1
2.4
Journals
Medicina
Special Issues
Innovations and Challenges in Thoracic Surgery: Present and Future Directions
share announcement

Innovations and Challenges in Thoracic Surgery: Present and Future Directions

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Surgery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2026) | Viewed by 813

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Servet Bölükbas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Essen-Ruhrlandklinik, University Duisburg-Essen, 45239 Essen, Germany
Interests: thoracic surgery; lung cancer; pleural mesothelioma; lung metastases; mediastinal tumors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Konstantinos Grapatsas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Endoscopy, Ruhrlandklinik, West German Lung Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
Interests: thoracic surgery; lung cancer; pulmonary metastasectomy; mesothelioma; lung volume reduction surgery; minimally invasive surgery (VATS/RATS); enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols; multidisciplinary care; surgical oncology; postoperative outcomes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of thoracic surgery is undergoing a dynamic transformation through technological innovation, refined perioperative care, and integration into multimodal oncologic strategies. Minimally invasive approaches such as VATS and robotic-assisted surgery, combined with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, have increasingly become standard, improving outcomes and reducing morbidity.

Beyond early-stage lung cancer, the scope of thoracic surgery continues to expand. Pulmonary metastasectomy remains a relevant but debated option in oligometastatic disease, while lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) offers improved quality of life for selected patients with severe emphysema. Additionally, the surgical treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma continues to evolve, requiring complex decision-making in a multidisciplinary setting.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the current status of thoracic surgery and to anticipate the future directions it may take. We welcome original research, reviews, and expert perspectives on advances in surgical techniques, perioperative pathways, oncologic outcomes, patient selection, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

We especially encourage contributions addressing surgery in complex or comorbid patients, the integration of systemic therapies, and long-term follow-up data that will shape clinical decision-making.

We look forward to receiving your valuable submissions that will help to define the next chapter in thoracic surgical care.

Prof. Dr. Servet Bölükbas
Guest Editor

Dr. Konstantinos Grapatsas
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Medicina 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 2200 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 surgery
  • lung cancer
  • pulmonary metastasectomy
  • mesothelioma
  • lung volume reduction surgery
  • minimally invasive surgery (VATS/ RATS)
  • enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols
  • multidisciplinary care
  • surgical oncology
  • postoperative outcomes

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

33 pages, 731 KB  
Review
The Interplay of Preoperative Sarcopenia, Systemic Inflammation, and Neoadjuvant Therapy in Resectable NSCLC-Identifying the Gap: A Narrative Review of Surgical and Oncological Outcomes
by Evangelos Katsiotis, Sofoklis Mitsos, Konstantinos Katsas, Konstantinos Kostopanagiotou, Panagiota Misokalou, Sophia Stamatopoulou, Arezina N. Kasti and Periklis Tomos
Medicina 2026, 62(5), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62050850 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 370
Abstract
Preoperative sarcopenia has emerged as an important determinant of adverse postoperative and long-term outcomes in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Its frequent coexistence with systemic inflammation may further worsen survival outcomes. At the same time, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy have [...] Read more.
Preoperative sarcopenia has emerged as an important determinant of adverse postoperative and long-term outcomes in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Its frequent coexistence with systemic inflammation may further worsen survival outcomes. At the same time, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy have substantially improved pathological response and survival in resectable NSCLC. However, their interaction with host-related factors such as sarcopenia and systemic inflammatory status remains insufficiently characterized. This narrative review aims to synthesize current evidence regarding the interplay between preoperative sarcopenia, systemic inflammation, and neoadjuvant therapy in resectable NSCLC and evaluates their potential combined impact on surgical and oncological outcomes. A narrative synthesis of 20 studies involving patients undergoing lung cancer resection was performed. Sarcopenia was primarily assessed using computed tomography or PET-CT-derived skeletal muscle indices, most commonly the skeletal muscle index, whereas systemic inflammation was evaluated using biochemical inflammatory markers. The available evidence consistently indicates that preoperative sarcopenia is associated with poorer long-term survival, and this adverse effect appears to be amplified in the presence of systemic inflammation. Although neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy has improved tumor response and survival outcomes, it may also act as a systemic stressor capable of aggravating muscle loss. Importantly, no study to date has simultaneously evaluated sarcopenia, systemic inflammation, and neoadjuvant therapy within a unified analytical framework. Most available studies focus primarily on sarcopenia, while inflammatory or treatment-related parameters are typically analyzed separately. Overall, while sarcopenia and systemic inflammation are recognized predictors of adverse outcomes in resectable NSCLC, robust evidence integrating them with neoadjuvant therapy is lacking. Clarifying their potential interaction may improve risk stratification and help to optimize perioperative management strategies in the era of neoadjuvant therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges in Thoracic Surgery: Present and Future Directions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop