Efficacy analysis of fiberoptic bronchoscopy combined with thoracoscopy in the treatment of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts in children

This study explores the clinical efficacy of perioperative application of fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FB) combined with thoracoscopic minimally invasive surgery for mediastinal bronchogenic cysts in children. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 48 pediatric patients with mediastinal tumors who were admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to December 2023. Postoperative pathological results confirmed the diagnosis of bronchogenic cysts. The patients, aged 1 to 8 years (mean 4.8 ± 1.59 years), included 27 males and 21 females. Group A (25 cases) underwent preoperative and postoperative FB exploration and lavage, along with thoracoscopic cyst resection. Group B (23 cases) received thoracoscopic cyst resection alone. The preoperative general conditions, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, tube removal time, drainage volume, and other indicators were compared between the 2 groups. All children successfully underwent surgery without mortality or recurrence. There were no significant differences in age, gender, surgical time, or blood loss between the 2 groups (P > .05). However, Group A had significantly shorter postoperative chest drainage time, lower drainage volume, and shorter hospital stay compared to Group B. Group A had only 1 case of pneumonia and 2 cases of pleural effusion, while Group B had 4 cases of pneumonia and 3 cases of pleural effusion. The overall complication rate was lower in Group A (8.6%) than in Group B (30.4%). Thoracoscopy is effective for cyst removal, and the application of FB during the perioperative period can significantly reduce postoperative complications, shorten recovery time, and improve the quality of life in pediatric patients.