title: Clinical outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy.
abstract: To review our experience with video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy with respect to morbidity, mortality, and short-term outcome.
  
  
  
  VATS lobectomies were performed in 56 patients between July 6, 2006, and February 26, 2008. Two patients declined consent for research participation and were excluded. Clinical data for 54 patients were collected from medical records and analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  
  The studied cohort included 19 men (35%) and 35 women (65%) with a median age of 67.5 years (minimum-maximum, 21-87 years; interquartile range [IQR], 59-74 years). Median duration of operation for VATS lobectomy was 139 minutes (minimum-maximum, 78-275 minutes; IQR, 121-182 minutes). Two cases (4%) required conversion to open lobectomy. Median time to chest tube removal was 2 days (minimum-maximum, 1-12 days; IQR, 1.3-3.8 days). Median length of stay was 4 days (minimum-maximum, 1-12 days; IQR, 4-7 days). There was no operative mortality.
  
  
  
  VATS lobectomy is safe and feasible for pulmonary resection. This minimally invasive approach may allow patients to benefit from lobectomy with shorter recovery times and hospital stays compared with conventional open thoracotomy.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Sandra C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tomaszek
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cassivi
authors.forename: K Robert
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Francis C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deschamps
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wigle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult