title: The comparison of complication, pain, quality of life and performance after lung resections with thoracoscopy and axillary thoracotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this prospective study was to compare the effects of axillary thoracotomy (AT) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) on acute-phase responses, pain, performance status and quality of life in patients undergoing pulmonary resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with peripherally located lung lesions were enrolled into this study. Surgery was done by VATS or AT. Forced expiratory volume, smoking habits, complications, Charlson comorbidity index, sex, age, length of incision, length of operation, length of hospital stay, length of drainage, length of air leakage, preoperative and postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) values, visual analogue scale, quality of life and performance status of the patients were measured and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five patients had lung resection with VATS and 30 patients had lung resection with AT. The demographic variables were similar. The differences between the two groups' postoperative serum CRP levels were significantly lower for the VATS group. The length of postoperative stay was significantly shorter for the VATS group. There were no other statistical significance between the two groups in terms of operative variables, complications, pain, quality of life and performance status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AT is a technique equivalent to VATS in terms of early complications, pain, performance status and quality of life; VATS provided a shorter postoperative stay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Artvin State Hospital, Artvin, Turkey suaterus@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erus
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, VKF American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanju
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul University, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kapdağlı
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul University, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berker
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Özkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şükrü
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Dilege
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul University, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D007902:Length of Stay; D008168:Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000601:surgery; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Axillary thoracotomy; Lung resection; Quality of life; VATS