ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical feasibility and safety of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) without chest tube in enhanced recovery thoracic surgery.MethodThe clinical data of patients with pulmonary bulla, pulmonary nodules and mediastinal tumors who underwent uniportal VATS in Department of Thoracic Surgery in the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University between January 2015 to May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 78 patients did not receive closed thoracic drainage tube (a tube-free group), including 30 males and 48 females aged 32.5±8.3 years, 92 patients closed thoracic drainage tube after operation (a control group), including 38 males and 54 females aged 31.4±13.6 years. The surgery-related indicators, postoperative complications and visual analogue score (VAS) were compared between the two groups.ResultsThe time of early ambulation and hospital stay after operation in the tube-free group (1.0±0.3 d, 3.3±0.7 d) were significantly shorter than those in the control group (1.8±0.6 d, 5.2±0.8 d) (P=0.000, P=0.000). The VAS pain scores on the first, second and third day after operation in the tube-free group (4.5±1.8, 3.6±2.4, 2.5±1.4) were also significantly lower than those in the control group (6.8±2.2, 5.7±2.9, 3.9±1.2) (P=0.000, P=0.000, P=0.000). Operation time and intraoperative blood loss in the tube-free group (55.3±12.2 min, 21.5±5.1 mL) and the control group (57.1±6.5 min, 22.2±3.5 mL) were not statistically different (P=0.220, P=0.146). There was no pulmonary infection in both groups, and the wound healing rate was 100.0%. There was no significant difference in pneumothorax, pleural effusion, arrhythmia and re-insertion of chest drain between the tube-free group (5 patients, 8 patients, 1 patient, 3 patients) and the control group (1 patient, 4 patients, 2 patients, 1 patient, P=0.145, P=0.134, P=0.885, P=0.499).ConclusionIn strictly screened patients undergoing uniportal thoracoscopic surgery, no thoracic closed drainage tube can relieve postoperative pain, promote early ambulation activities and enhanced recovery of patients.
Objective To explore the safety and feasibility of spontaneous breathing anesthesia combined with tubeless uniportal thoracoscopy in pulmonary bullae surgery. Methods Totally 112 patients with pulmonary bullae in the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from March 2015 to May 2017 were enrolled. According to the random number chosen by computer, the patients were randomly divided into two groups: a tubeless group (spontaneous breathing anesthesia combined with tubeless uniportalthoracoscopy) and a control group (uniportal thoracoscopy by general anesthesia with tracheal intubation) . There were 49 males and 7 females with an average age of 25.5±6.5 years in the tubeless group, and 50 males and 6 females with an average age of 23.5±4.5 years in the control group. The difference of the lowest intraoperative arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), SaO2 at postoperative one hour, operation time, postoperative awakening time, hospital stay, hospitalization cost and postoperative pain score were analyzed. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in the operation time, the lowest SaO2, SaO2 at one hour after the operation and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2). The awakening time and duration of postoperative hospital stay in the tubeless group was shorter than those in the control group (P=0.000). The cost of hospitalization in the tubeless group was less than that in the control group (P=0.000). The discomfort caused by urinary tract and visual analogue score (VAS) in the tubeless group were better than those in the control group. Conclusion It is safe and feasible to use spontaneous breathing anesthesia combined with tubeless uniportal thoracoscopy in pulmonary bullae resection.