HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Ilhan Inci Ralph A. Schmid Walter Weder Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Weber, A. Articles by Weder, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Weber, A. Articles by Weder, W. Related Collections Lung - other

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2001;20:443-448
© 2001 Elsevier Science NL

Thoracoscopic lobectomy for benign disease – a single centre study on 64 cases

Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland

Received 10 October 2000; received in revised form 14 March 2001; accepted 19 March 2001.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +41-1-255-8802; fax: +41-1-255-8805
e-mail: walter.weder{at}chi.usz.ch

Objective: Chronic lung infection is the main indication for lobectomy in benign pulmonary disease and may be technically demanding due to inflammatory changes such as adhesions, lymph node enlargement and neovascularization. The role of the thoracoscopic operation in these indications is yet ill-defined. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results of patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy (TL) between 1992 and June 1999 and compared this study group with patients who underwent open lobectomy (OL), all for benign disease. Data were not normally distributed, therefore, the median and range is given and nonparametric statistical analysis was applied. Results: A total of 117 lobectomies for benign disease (64 TL) were analyzed. Indications included bronchiectasis (36 TL; 18 OL), chronic infections (13 TL; eight OL), tuberculosis (five TL; 15 OL), emphysema (five TL; one OL), AV-malformations (two TL; one OL), severe haemoptysis (four OL), and others (three TL; six OL). Twelve conversions to thoracotomy were necessary due to severe adhesions. One patient in the open lobectomy group died within 30 days postoperative. Drainage time was 5.0 (1–32) days in TL and 6.0 (3–21) days in OL, hospital stay was 8.5 (4–41) days and 10.0 (5–52) days, respectively. Blood loss was 0 (0–2000) ml in TL and 300 (0–6000) ml in OL.Operation time for thoracoscopic lobectomies significantly decreased from 2.5 (1–6) h for cases between 1992 and 1997 (n=49) to 1.5 (0.5–2.5) h for recent cases (n=15) (P<0.01). In addition, a trend towards less blood loss was noted (100 (0–2000) ml vs. 0 (0–400) ml; P=0.06). Drainage time and hospital stay did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Thoracoscopic lobectomy in chronic inflammatory disease can be performed safely in selected patients, especially with bronchiectasis. Conversion rate to thoracotomy is low. Operation time with this approach declined significantly over time.

Key Words: Video-assisted-thoracoscopic-surgery • Lobectomy • Benign-lung-disease

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Cappeliez, S. Lenoir, P. Validire, and D. Gossot Totally endoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy for congenital bronchial atresia Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., July 1, 2009; 36(1): 222 - 224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. L. Demmy and C. Nwogu Is Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Lobectomy Better? Quality of Life Considerations Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 2008; 85(2): S719 - S728. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. B. Kestenholz, D. Schneiter, S. Hillinger, D. Lardinois, and W. Weder Thoracoscopic treatment of pulmonary sequestration. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., May 1, 2006; 29(5): 815 - 818. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. N. Wurnig, V. Wittmer, N. S. Pridun, and P. H. Hollaus Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Pleural Empyema Ann. Thorac. Surg., January 1, 2006; 81(1): 309 - 313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J. Daniels, S. S. Balderson, M. W. Onaitis, and T. A. D'Amico Thoracoscopic lobectomy: a safe and effective strategy for patients with stage i lung cancer Ann. Thorac. Surg., September 1, 2002; 74(3): 860 - 864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]