title: [Cardio-pulmonary exercise capacity in patients with lung cancers: a comparison study between video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and thoracotomy lobectomy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy on the pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with lung cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 2010 and December 2011, 138 patients. with lung cancers were treated with lobectomy: 68 using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and 70 using thoracotomy. The preoperative and postoperative (7 d and 30 d) pulmonary functions and Cardio-pulmonary Exercise Capacities as well as postoperative (7 d and 30 d) DE Morton Index of the two groups of patients were assessed. The two groups of patients had similar in clinical characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Patients in the VATS group had greater FEV1 (1.64 +/- 0.21) L and PEF [(310.58 +/- 30.13) L/min] on the 7 d after operations than those with thoracotomy [FEV1 (1.34 +/- 0.11) L and PEF (270.18 +/- 25.67) L/min], P < 0.05. (2) Patients in the VATS group had lower fatigue index (0.27 +/- 0.08) and dyspnea index (0.28 +/- 0.17) on the 7 d after operations than those with thoracotomy (0.44 +/- 0.10 fatigue index and 0.39 +/- 0.09 dyspnea index), P < 0.05. (3) Patients in the VATS group had longer 6-min walking distance on the 7 d [(490.57 +/- 118.33) m] and 30 d [(524.32 +/- 140.87) m] after operations than those with thoracotomy [(395.07 +/- 100.19) m at 7 d and (471.10 +/- 118.57) m at 30 d], P < 0.05. (4) Patients in the VATS group had higher DE Morton index (74.58 +/- 16.23) on the 7 d after operations than those with thoracotomy (55.87 +/- 14.79), P < 0.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VATS lobectomy for curative lung cancer resection appears to provide a superior functional health recovery compared with thoracotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Che
authors.forename: Peng-Ming
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yu-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: Chun-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Lun-Xu
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013908:Thoracotomy