title: Preliminary experience with video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung malignancies: general considerations moving toward standard practice.
abstract: As part of the Second Catania Symposium on Thoracic Oncology, as we started the experience with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for lung malignancies, we reviewed our data and argued some comments in a more general discussion. Operated patients with non-small-cell lung cancer were divided in two groups and compared: VATS (collected in a prospective database) and open (historical group). Out of 74 patients, 31 in group A and 44 in group B. The majority of patients in group A were stage I-II. Mean operative time was shorter in group A. Postoperative hospital stay was shorter in group A. There was no mortality. VATS is effective and safe to perform pulmonary lobectomy in our unit, and it represents our preferred approach for early-stage lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General surgery & Medical Specialities, University of Catania, Policlinico Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Migliore
authors.affiliation: Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General surgery & Medical Specialities, University of Catania, Policlinico Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Criscione
authors.affiliation: Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General surgery & Medical Specialities, University of Catania, Policlinico Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.affiliation: Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General surgery & Medical Specialities, University of Catania, Policlinico Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borrata
authors.affiliation: Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General surgery & Medical Specialities, University of Catania, Policlinico Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariapia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gangemi
authors.affiliation: Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General surgery & Medical Specialities, University of Catania, Policlinico Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Attinà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: NSCLC; VATS; lung cancer; open approach; pulmonary lobectomy; videotoracoscopic surgery