title: Early outcomes of single-port video-assisted thoracic surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, single-port video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has been proposed as an alternative to the conventional three-port VATS for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). The aim of this study is to evaluate the early outcomes of the single-port VATS for PSP.
  
  
  METHODS
  VATS was performed for PSP in 52 patients from March 2012 to March 2013. We reviewed the medical records of these 52 patients, retrospectively. Nineteen patients underwent the conventional three-port VATS (three-port group) and 33 patients underwent the single-port VATS (single-port group). Both groups were compared according to the operation time, number of wedge resections, amount of chest tube drainage during the first 24 hours after surgery, length of chest tube drainage, length of hospital stay, postoperative pain score, and postoperative paresthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in patient characteristics between the two groups. There was no difference in the number of wedge resections, operation time, or amount of drainage between the two groups. The mean lengths of chest tube drainage and hospital stay were shorter in the single-port group than in the three-port group. Further, there was less postoperative pain and paresthesia in the single-port group than in the three-port group. These differences were statistically significant. The mean size of the surgical wound was 2.10 cm (range, 1.6 to 3.0 cm) in the single-port group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single-port VATS for PSP had many advantages in terms of the lengths of chest tube drainage and hospital stay, postoperative pain, and paresthesia. Single-port VATS is a feasible technique for PSP as an alternative to the conventional three-port VATS in well-selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital.
authors.forename: Do Kyun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital.
authors.forename: Ho Ki
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital.
authors.forename: Hee Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital.
authors.forename: Youn Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Min-Kyun
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: Paresthesia; Pneumothorax; Postoperative pain; Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)