Kezhong Chen1, Xun Wang1, Fan Yang1, Jianfeng Li1, Guanchao Jiang1, Jun Liu1, Jun Wang2. 1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China. 2. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China. Electronic address: wangjun@pkuph.edu.cn.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer could be performed safely and with acceptable long-term outcomes by our improved technique and compared with standard thoracotomy lobectomy in a well-balanced population. METHODS: Patients with clinical stage II and III A non-small cell lung cancers who received lobectomy were reviewed. Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomies were all performed with Wang's technique by the surgeons who had overcome the learning curve and achieved proficiency. By using propensity-matched analysis, perioperative outcomes and long-term survival were compared. RESULTS: Matching based on propensity scores produced 120 patients in each group. Conversion rate to thoracotomy was 11.7%. After thoracoscopic lobectomy, hospital length of stay was shorter compared with thoracotomy (9.2 vs 12 days; P = .014) despite similar rates of postoperative complications (30/125 [25%] vs 34/125 [28.3%]; P = .56). Disease-free survival (49.1% vs 42.2%; P = .40) and overall survival (55.0% vs 57.1%; P = .73) at 5 years were similar between groups. Although advanced pathologic stage (hazard ratio [HR], 2.018; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.330-3.062) and no postoperative chemotherapy (HR, 1.880; 95% CI, 1.236-2.858) were independently associated with increased hazard of death in multivariable Cox regression at each time point in follow-up, thoracoscopic lobectomy was not (HR, 1.075; 95% CI, 0.714-1.620; P = .73). CONCLUSIONS: With continued experience and optimized technique, video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy can be performed in the majority of cases without compromising perioperative outcomes and oncologic efficacy.
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer could be performed safely and with acceptable long-term outcomes by our improved technique and compared with standard thoracotomy lobectomy in a well-balanced population. METHODS:Patients with clinical stage II and III A non-small cell lung cancers who received lobectomy were reviewed. Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomies were all performed with Wang's technique by the surgeons who had overcome the learning curve and achieved proficiency. By using propensity-matched analysis, perioperative outcomes and long-term survival were compared. RESULTS: Matching based on propensity scores produced 120 patients in each group. Conversion rate to thoracotomy was 11.7%. After thoracoscopic lobectomy, hospital length of stay was shorter compared with thoracotomy (9.2 vs 12 days; P = .014) despite similar rates of postoperative complications (30/125 [25%] vs 34/125 [28.3%]; P = .56). Disease-free survival (49.1% vs 42.2%; P = .40) and overall survival (55.0% vs 57.1%; P = .73) at 5 years were similar between groups. Although advanced pathologic stage (hazard ratio [HR], 2.018; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.330-3.062) and no postoperative chemotherapy (HR, 1.880; 95% CI, 1.236-2.858) were independently associated with increased hazard of death in multivariable Cox regression at each time point in follow-up, thoracoscopic lobectomy was not (HR, 1.075; 95% CI, 0.714-1.620; P = .73). CONCLUSIONS: With continued experience and optimized technique, video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy can be performed in the majority of cases without compromising perioperative outcomes and oncologic efficacy.