Robotic left intrapericardial upper lobectomy, pericardial reconstruction and diaphragmatic plication.

Abstract

Primary mediastinal malignant germ cell tumours are rare, comprising only 1-4% of mediastinal tumours, of which 50-70% are non-seminomatous germ cell tumours. Non-seminomatous germ cell tumours typically demonstrate an excellent response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. However, in some cases, tumours may persistently enlarge despite normal tumour markers following chemotherapy, leading to a rare condition known as growing teratoma syndrome. This poses a significant challenge for thoracic surgeons, especially when associated with infiltration of neighbouring pulmonary structures. Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is not commonly employed in the resection of large mediastinal tumours. We present a case showcasing the robotic approach to complete resection of a sizeable mediastinal tumour originating from the left/main pulmonary artery, en bloc with a left upper lobectomy, pericardial resection, and reconstruction and diaphragmatic plication.