title: Muscle sparing thoracotomy for esophageal cancer: a comparison with posterolateral thoracotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether muscle sparing thoracotomy (MST) improved postoperative chest pain and an impairment of the postoperative pulmonary function in comparison with posterolateral thoracotomy (PLT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with esophageal cancer who underwent PLT from September 2006 to August 2008 and 30 patients who underwent MST from September 2008 to August 2010 were selected as subjects of this study. Postoperative acute and chronic chest pain and the recovery of the pulmonary function were retrospectively compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of the additional use of analgesics was on days 3, 6, and 7 (mean 0.4 vs. 1.2, p = 0.027, 0.4 vs. 1.5, p = 0.007, and 0.2 vs. 1.2, p = 0.009, respectively) in the early postoperative period. The number of patients requiring analgesics at 1 and 3 months after surgery was significantly lower in the MST group than in the PLT group (13.3 vs. 58.3 %, p = 0.002, 10.0 vs. 50.0 %, p = 0.001, respectively). The postoperative vital capacity, expressed as a percentage of the preoperative value, 3 and 12 months after surgery was significantly higher in the MST group than in the PLT group (86.0 vs. 73.8 %, p = 0.028, 93.2 vs. 76.9 %, p = 0.002, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with PLT, MST might, therefore, reduce postoperative chest pain and offer a better recovery of pulmonary function in patients with esophageal cancer.
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
authors: Kazushi
authors: K
authors: Miyata
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan. mafukaya@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors: Masahide
authors: M
authors: Fukaya
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
authors: Keita
authors: K
authors: Itatsu
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Abe
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Nagino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014797:Vital Capacity
keywords: Muscle sparing thoracotomy; Posterolateral thoracotomy; Postoperative chest pain; Postoperative pulmonary function