Objective To evaluate the advantages about video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy with optimized management of surgical instruments package. Methods A total of 200 patients with lung cancer were enrolled, which included 78 males and 122 females, aged 24-83 years at median age of 56.8 years. All of them were divided into 2 groups including a routine group (n=100) and an optimized management of surgical instruments group (n=100). The total operation time, bleeding, instrument weights, utilization rate of instruments, counted and cleaning time in 2 groups were recorded and analyzed. Results The average operation time and average lost blood of the routine group was 117.62±42.52 min and 53.14±50.69 ml, respectively, and the one of the optimized instruments group was 120.48±40.62 min, 56.10±49.87 ml, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.112, P=0.231, respectively). The utilization rate of instruments in the routine group (58.02%±2.39%) was significantly lower than that of the optimized instruments group (94.00%±1.48%, P=0.014). The counted time, the loading and unloading time and the cleaning time of instruments in the routine group was 112.00±26.00 s, 70.00±15.00 s, 1 010.00±130.00 s, respectively, much longer than the time of the optimized instruments group, which was 65.00±23.00 s, 20.00±4.00 s, 665.00±69.00 s, respectively. There was a statistical difference between the two groups (P=0.028, P=0.011, P=0.039, respectively). The value of instruments in the routine group (177 574.00±14 438.00 yuan) was apparently higher than that of the optimized instruments group(132 027.00±10 311.00 yuan), with a statistical difference (P=0.032). Conclusion It is demonstrated that optimized management of surgical instruments package in VATS lobectomy can greatly improve the utilization rate of instruments and work efficiency, with no effects on the operation time and amount of bleeding in lobectomy.