title: [Video-assisted thoracoscopic radical resection of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the reliability and feasibility of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for radical resection of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four patients with NSCLC treated between Jan. 2007 and Jun. 2010 at our institution were divided into VATS group (n=23) and video-assisted mini thoracotomy (VAMT) group (n=31). The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, number of dissected nodes, pleural effusion drainage, postoperative hospital stay, and visual analogue scales (VAS) were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No deaths or serious complications occurred perioperatively in the two groups. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, number of dissected lymph nodes or pleural effusion drainage were all comparable between the two groups, but compared with VAMT, VATS was associated with significantly shortened postoperative hospital stay (10.54±1.21 days vs 7.92±0.86 days, P<0.05) and lowered VAS scores (4.26±1.28 vs 2.37±0.25, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VATS for pulmonary lobe resection with systematic node dissection is a feasible approach to the management of early-stage NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China. weiyip2000@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yi-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yi-ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiang-lai
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jin-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted