ObjectiveTo review and analyze the treatment of chylothorax after video-assisted thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery and to discuss the best clinical treatment methods and effects.MethodsA total of 400 patients diagnosed with chylothorax at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from January 2012 to January 2020 were continuously collected. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 37 patients were finally included. There were 20 males and 17 females with an average age of 55.55±10.49 years. Chylothorax was diagnosed primarily by triglyceride levels (above 110 mg/dL) or the Sudan triple stain test. Treatment included surgical and non-surgical treatment. The overall incidence, high risk factors and treatment methods of chylothorax after radical thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer were analyzed. According to the treatment methods, the patients were divided into a surgical treatment group and a non-surgical treatment group. The average daily drainage volume and average hospital stay of the patients between the two groups were analyzed.ResultsIncluded patients accounted for 0.3% (37/12 515) of lung cancer thoracoscopic surgery in our hospital during the same period. The incidence of postoperative chylothorax in patients with right lung surgery (0.2%, 29/12 515) was higher than that of patients with left lung surgery (0.1%, 8/12 515). Of 37 patients with chylothorax after lung cancer surgery, 32 patients were in the non-surgical treatment group (86.5%, 32/37), and the rate was higher compared with the surgical treatment group (13.5%, 5/37, P=0.000). The average daily drainage in the surgical treatment group was 777 mL more than that in the non-surgical treatment group (95%CI 588.58 to 965.55, P<0.001). The total drainage volume of the surgical treatment group was more than that of the non-surgical treatment group (8 609.2±4 680.3 mL vs. 4 911.2±3 925.5 mL, P=0.055). The postoperative hospital stay and total hospital stay in the surgical treatment group were shorter than those in the non-surgical treatment group (P=0.162, P=0.118). The tube indwelling time (8.2±2.7 d) was shorter than that of the non-surgical treatment group (12.3±6.8 d, P=0.204).ConclusionThe treatment of chylothorax after radical resection of VATS lung cancer is still mainly non-surgical treatment. Surgical treatment should be initiated as early as possible when the drainage volume is too large 72 hours after chylothorax surgery after radical resection of VATS lung cancer.