Initial experience with uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of lung cancer performed by a surgeon who did not have previous experience performing multiportal thoracoscopic surgery: a single center retrospective study

Study on temperature change and nursing intervention of patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery in lung tumor treatment

To investigate the changes of body temperature and nursing intervention of patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery in lung tumor treatment. A total of 100 patients with lung cancer admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected as research objects, and were divided into control group and study group, with 50 cases in each group according to different treatment methods. All patients received thoracoscopic surgery, the control group received routine nursing, and the research group received perioperative nursing intervention on the basis of the above, and observed and compared the temperature changes, perioperative complications, postoperative rehabilitation, stress indexes and pain degree of the 2 groups of patients. The temperature at T1, T2, T3, and T4 was lower than that at T0, and the temperature at T3 was the lowest. The temperature at T1, T2, T3, and T4 in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < .05). The incidence of perioperative hypothermia, hypoxemia, chills, and agitation in study group was significantly lower than that in control group (P < .05). The anal exhaust time, consciousness recovery time, tracheal extubation time, operating room time, and hospital stay time in the study group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < .05). After operation, the levels of AD, NA, and Cor in both groups were higher than those before operation, and the levels of AD, NA, and Cor in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < .05). The visual analogue scale scores of the 2 groups at 12 hours and 48 hours after operation were lower than those of the control group at 6 hours, 12 hours, and 48 hours after operation, and the visual analogue scale scores of the study group at 6 hours, 12 hours, and 48 hours after operation were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .05). Nursing intervention during thoracoscopic surgery for lung tumors can stabilize intraoperative and postoperative temperature changes, alleviate stress reaction and pain, reduce the risk of intraoperative hypothermia and hypoxemia, promote the smooth progress of surgery and improve prognosis.

The learning curve on uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy with the help of postoperative review of videos

Objectives

Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy has become the preferred surgical approach in experienced centers, and uniportal approaches are becoming increasingly used. But the uniportal approach is still not widely applied presumably due to the learning difficulties of this complex procedure. The use of surgical videos may be helpful to accelerate the learning of this new techniques as in other fields. In this study, we aimed to analyze the learning curve of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy with the help of postoperative review of videos.

Methods

114 patients with early-stage lung cancer who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy performed from 2020 to 2021 were reviewed in this study. We recorded the operation video for each patient and reviewed all the videos after surgery. The learning curves were assessed using cumulative sum analysis and the collected data of perioperative outcomes were assessed.

Results

The CUMSUM curve showed its inflection points were around case 38 and 53. It was less compared with previous studies, which about 57–140 cases are needed to attain the proficient phase. The perioperative outcomes were similar in each phase, which included intraoperative blood loss (79.00 ± 26.70 vs 70.67 ± 26.64 vs 70.56 ± 27.23, p=0.0119), the length of hospital stay (3.60 ± 1.52 days vs. 3.23 ± 0.90 days vs. 3.06 ± 0.88 days, p=0.053), the rate of prolonged air leak and conversion to open thoracotomy. There was also no significant difference in the numbers and station of lymph node dissection among the three phases.

Conclusions

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is a safe and reliable approach. Recording and reviewing the operation video could help the surgeon to improve deficiencies and refine the procedure.

Uniportal versus multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

It remains controversial whether one-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or multiportal VATS is better for segmentectomy in patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We conducted this meta-analysis of eight published studies to compare the clinical effectiveness and safety of the two surgical approaches. The uniportal group had a shorter postoperative hospital stay (mean difference (MD): - 0.40, 95% CI [- 0.71 to - 0.08] days, p = 0.01), lower postoperative pain scores on day 3 (MD: - 0.90, 95% CI [- 1.26 to - 0.54], p < 0.00001) and day 7 (MD: - 0.33, 95% CI [- 0.62 to - 0.04], p = 0.02), fewer days of chest tube drainage (MD: - 0.47, 95% CI [- 0.78 to - 0.15] days, p = 0.004), and a smaller wound (MD: - 0.73, 95% CI [- 1.00 to - 0.46] cm, p < 0.00001) than the multiportal group. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in complications, operative times, resected lymph nodes, resected lymph node stations, blood loss, postoperative pain scores on days 1, 2, 30, overall survival (OS), or disease-free survival (DFS). The most common complications were prolonged air leakage (10.29%), bleeding (8.82%), vascular injury (7.14%), empyema (5.88%), and arrhythmia (5.26%) in the uniportal group. Overall, uniportal VATS appears to be better than multiportal VATS for segmentectomy in patients with NSCLC, with better postoperative outcomes and similar survival rates.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery without drainage-tube placement for pulmonary wedge resection: a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery without drainage-tube placement has been demonstrated to be safe and feasible for select situations. The purpose of this study is to assess the demographic, baseline, and intraoperative characteristics of patients who developed residual pneumothorax after thoracic surgery without drainage-tube placement.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of all patients who underwent pulmonary wedge resection via uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery without drainage-tube placement between May 2019 and May 2022. The decision to omit chest-tube drainage was originally made on a case-by-case basis, using internal criteria. Postoperative chest radiography was performed on the day of surgery, on postoperative day 1, at the first outpatient visit, and at 1 month after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 134 patients met the selection criteria; 23 (17.2%) had residual pneumothorax on chest radiography on postoperative day 1, and 5 (3.7%) had residual pneumothorax at the first outpatient visit. Only 1 patient (0.7%) had residual pneumothorax on chest radiography at 1 month after surgery; this patient did not require chest-tube insertion or any other intervention. The presence of partial pleural adhesions independently increased the risk for postoperative residual pneumothorax on chest radiography, whereas older patient age reduced the risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary wedge resection without drainage-tube placement is both safe and feasible for carefully selected patients. Most patients with residual pneumothorax in our study experienced spontaneous resolution, and none required reintervention.

Effect and feasibility of uniportal thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer in a primary hospital

BACKGROUND

Thoracoscopic radical lobectomy is a routine procedure for radical surgery of lung cancer. Meanwhile, thoracoscopic surgery has been gradually transformed from assisted small incision and multiport thoracoscopic radical surgery to uniportal thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of early-stage lung cancers. However, there are still controversies regarding the efficacy and feasibility of 2 surgical methods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect and feasibility of uniportal thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of early-stage lung cancer in a primary hospital.

METHODS

Clinical data of 142 patients with early-stage lung cancer were retrospectively chosen in the period from September 2019 to March 2021 in our hospital and divided into 2 groups: a control group (66 patients) with 3-port thoracoscopic radical surgery and an experimental group (76 patients) with uniportal thoracoscopic radical surgery. The baseline clinical data, perioperative clinical data, and lymph node dissection of 2 groups were compared.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in baseline general clinical data between 2 groups (P>0.05), and no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications, conversion rate, or operation time between 2 groups (P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss volume, postoperative chest drainage volume, postoperative hospitalization time, and postoperative catheter time of experimental group were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the total number of lymph node dissection stations and lymph node dissections, the number of N2 lymph node dissection stations, or N2 lymph node dissections between 2 groups (P>0.05). There was also no significant difference in the number of left and right lymph node dissection stations between 2 groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with 3-port thoracoscopic radical surgery, uniportal thoracoscopic radical surgery in the treatment of patients with early-stage lung cancer provides the same effect of lymph node dissection and has advantages in reducing surgical trauma and accelerating postoperative rehabilitation, popularizing for use in primary hospitals.

Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lung Resection: A Single-Surgeon Experience and Comparison with Multiportal Technique in the Veteran Population

Background: Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been shown to offer improved postoperative outcomes compared with multiportal technique. Shorter operative time has rarely been described. Our objective was to compare operative time and clinical outcomes between uniportal and multiportal VATS approaches for lung resection. Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients that underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection at United States Veterans Affairs centers between 2008 and 2018 using the Veteran Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Cases were assigned to uniportal (single surgeon) or multiportal cohorts. Multivariable analysis of clinical outcomes was performed, adjusting for preoperative confounding covariates. Temporal trend in operative time in uniportal cohort was analyzed in the context of cumulative operative volume using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, rho (ρ). Results: In total, 8,212 cases were selected from 2008 to 2018 at Veterans Affairs centers: 176 (2.1%) uniportal and 8036 (97.9%) multiportal cases. Uniportal cohort was significantly associated with shorter operative time (1.7 hours versus 3.1 hours, P < .001), higher adjusted odds of surgical site infection (adjusted odds ratio = 2.76; P = .005), and longer length of stay (6 days versus 5 days; P = .04). Uniportal cohort operative time decreased over time (ρ = -0.474), with most significant change corresponding with increased cumulative operative volume from 25 to 44 cases. Conclusions: Uniportal technique offered shorter operative duration in veterans compared with multiportal approach, validating its technical advantages. Operative time decreased as cumulative operative volume increased, demonstrating a learning curve. Future studies should prospectively investigate any association between operative time and clinical outcomes after thoracoscopic lung resection.