title: Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy with a single utility port is feasible in the treatment of elderly patients with peripheral lung cancer.
abstract: Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy with a single utility port has emerged as a new technology in recent years. The aim of this study is to review the technology in the treatment of elderly patients with peripheral lung cancer.
  
  
  
  We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 21 elderly patients with peripheral lung cancer who underwent single utility port VATS lobectomy from February 2011 to February 2013 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (VATS group). The clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were then compared to data from 32 elderly patients who underwent lobectomy by thoracotomy (TL group).
  
  
  
  No mortality occurred during the postoperative period in either group. There was no statistical difference in surgery duration, the quantity of lymph node dissection or intraoperative blood loss between the VATS and TL groups. However, significant differences existed in the postoperative hospital stay (6.19 ± 1.69 days vs. 8.22 ± 2.55 days), time to first activity out of bed (20.57 ± 7.72 hours vs. 26.81 ± 9.27 hours), chest drainage duration (4.24 ± 1.04 days vs. 5.22 ± 1.29 days), and total postoperative drainage volume (642.86 ± 158.18 mL vs. 787.81 ± 211.55 mL) between the VATS and TL groups (P <0.05). The percentage of patients with no complications in the VATS group (85.71%) is significantly higher when compared with the TL group (56.25%, P <0.05).
  
  
  
  VATS lobectomy with a single utility port is a safe and feasible surgical procedure for selected elderly patients with peripheral lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China; Soochow University Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China; Suzhou Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Genetics Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Soochow University Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China; Suzhou Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Genetics Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China; Soochow University Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou, China; Suzhou Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Genetics Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
keywords: Aged; lobectomy; lung neoplasms; single utility port