Marking pulmonary nodules with a spiral harpoon using computerised tomography, for resection by minimally invasive surgery

Abstract

Background. To show the efficacy of placing a spiral harpoon in pulmonary nodules under the control of computerised tomography for their subsequent resection by minimally invasive surgery. Materials and methods. Fifteen nodules of between 0.5-1.5 cm were localised in fifteen patients, of whom ten had antecedents of neoplasia, with the placement of spiral harpoon model Somatex, of 120mm length and 18 G of Laboratorios Léleman, S.L., by means of computerised tomography, resecting them by minimally invasive surgery. Results. Following the resection of the nodule it was confirmed that in the fifteen cases the harpoon was next to the nodule or encompassing it – just as it had been placed on the scanner, in two cases objectifying a small intraparenchymatose haemorrhage and in one case a small pneumothorax. The time taken to place the harpoon oscillated between fifteen and thirty minutes. Conclusion. Marking a pulmonary nodule with a spiral type harpoon is a simple method that makes it possible to securely anchor the nodule for its subsequent resection by minimally invasive surgery.