Benign posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors: results of a comparative study into video-assisted thoracic surgery and thoracotomy (13 years' experience).
OBJECTIVE
Mediastinal neurogenic tumors originate from the nerve tissues of the thorax and are generally located in the posterior mediastinum. The present study was performed to compare the results of thoracotomy with those of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for the surgical treatment of posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors.


METHODS
Twenty patients who underwent surgical resection for posterior neurogenic tumors between January 1996 and January 2009 were examined retrospectively. Thirteen (65%) patients were treated by thoracotomy (group T) and VATS was used in seven (35%) patients (group V).


RESULTS
The duration of surgery was shorter in group V (83.5 ± 19 min) than in group T (124.6 ± 16.6 min; P < 0.0001). Chest drains were withdrawn earlier in group V (after 1 day) than in group T (1.6 ± 0.5 days; P = 0.005). The hospital stay was shorter for group V (1 day) compared with group T (3 ± 0.9 days; P < 0.0001) and group V required fewer analgesics than group T (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
VATS is the preferred treatment for posterior neurogenic tumors that show no preoperative signs of malignancy and do not involve the medulla spinalis.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yedikule Hospital for Chest Disease and Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey. lcansever@yahoo.com
L
L
Cansever
C I
CI
Kocaturk
H U
HU
Cinar
M A
MA
Bedirhan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009380:Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey
D000700:Analgesics