title: Application of video-assisted thoracic surgery in the standard operation for thoracic tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the short-term outcomes of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for thoracic tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of 1,790 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. These patients underwent VATS pulmonary resections, VATS esophagectomies, and VATS resections of mediastinal tumors or biopsies at the Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 2009 and January 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 33 patients converted to open thoracotomy (OT, 1.84%). The overall morbidity and mortality rate was 2.79% (50/1790) and 0.28% (5/1790), respectively. The overall hospitalization and chest tube duration were shorter in the VATS lobectomy group (n=949) than in the open thoracotomy (OT) lobectomy group (n=753). There were no significant differences in morbidity rate, mortality rate and operation time between the two groups. In the esophageal cancer patients, no significant difference was found in the number of nodal dissection, chest tube duration, morbidity rate, mortality rate, and hospital length of stay between the VATS esophagectomy group (n=81) and open esophagectomy group (n=81). However, the operation time was longer in the VATS esophagectomy group. In the thymoma patients, there was no significant difference in the chest tube duration, morbidity rate, mortality rate, and hospital length of stay between the VATS thymectomy group (n=41) and open thymectomy group (n=41). However, the operation time was longer in the VATS group. The median tumor size in the VATS thymectomy group was comparable with that in the OT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In early-stage (I/II) non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent lobectomies, VATS is comparable with the OT approach with similar short-term outcomes. In patients with resectable esophageal cancer, VATS esophagectomy is comparable with OT esophagectomy with similar morbidity and mortality. VATS thymectomy for Masaoka stage I and II thymoma is feasible and safe, and tumor size is not contraindicated. Longer follow-ups are needed to determine the oncologic equivalency of VATS lobectomy, esophagectomy, and thymectomy for thymoma vs. OT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Ju-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Gui-Yu
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ke-Lin
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bai-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: You-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Shu-Geng
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Da-Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Shan
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Yu-Shun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Liangze
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Fei-Yue
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yong-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
keywords: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS); esophageal cancer; non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); thymoma