Objective To assess the clinical value of a novel surgical technique—Tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in the resection of anterior mediastinal masses. Methods Patients who underwent tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in anterior mediastinal masses process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from March to April 2025 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 4 patients were included, with 2 males and 2 females, aged 58-75 years. The diameter of the tumor was 2.5-3.0 cm. The operation time was 60.0-150.0 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-10 mL, pain score on the 3rd day after surgery was 0 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 2-3 days. All patients achieved complete resection of the masses and thymus without perioperative complications. ConclusionThe tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device technique optimizes surgical visualization and instrument maneuverability while avoiding complications related to conventional anesthesia and tubing, thereby markedly enhancing the minimally invasive profile of anterior mediastinal masses resections. In addition to maintaining procedural safety, this approach effectively reduces postoperative pain and accelerates patient recovery, highlighting its potential for widespread clinical adoption.
ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy for the treatment of thymoma through subxiphoid uniportal approach using double sternum retractors, and subxiphoid and subcostal arch approach. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of the patients diagnosed with thymoma who underwent VATS thymectomy from June 2023 to June 2024 in West China Hospital. Patients were categorized based on the surgical approach into two groups: a subxiphoid uniportal VATS thymectomy (SUVT) group and a subxiphoid and subcostal arch VATS thymectomy (SASAT) group. Comparisons were made between the two groups regarding surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, thymoma size and location, and postoperative pain assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS). ResultsThe SUVT group consisted of 20 patients, including 11 males and 9 females, with an average age of (51.5±14.3) years. The SASAT group comprised 40 patients, including 26 males and 14 females, with an average age of (50.0±13.0) years. Compared to the SASAT group, the SUVT group had significantly larger thymomas [ (5.9±2.7) cm vs. (4.2±2.1) cm, P=0.010] and a higher proportion of neoplasms located in the superior mediastinum (30.0% vs. 2.5%, P=0.007). Additionally, the VAS pain scores on postoperative days 3, 7, and 30 were significantly lower in the SUVT group compared to the SASAT group (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in demographic characteristics, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, duration and volume of postoperative drainage, length of postoperative hospital stay, or the VAS pain score on the first postoperative day. Conclusion SUVT using double sternum retractors significantly reduces postoperative pain and provides superior efficacy in the resection of larger thymomas or those situated in the superior mediastinum.
ObjectiveTo explore the safety and short-term efficacy of uniportal and three-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) anatomical segmentectomy for pulmonary nodules. MethodsThe clinical data of 225 patients with consecutive VATS anatomic segmentectomy by the same surgeon in Xuzhou Central Hospital between December 2019 and February 2022 was retrospectively reviewed. There were 85 males and 140 females with an average age of 57.3±11.6 years. These patients were divided into an uniportal VATS group (128 patients) and a three-port VATS group (97 patients) according to the surgical procedures. Single-direction anatomical procedure was utilized in the uniportal VATS group. The operation time, blood loss during the surgery, number of dissected lymph nodes, duration and volume of chest drainage, incidence of complications, and postoperative hospital stay of the two groups were compared. ResultsThere was no conversion to thoracotomy, addition of surgical ports, or mortality in this cohort, with tumor-negative surgical margins. The postoperative pathological staining confirmed 2 (0.9%) patients of lymph node metastasis (pN1) and 4 (1.8%) patients of adenocarcinoma with micropapillary component. As compared with the three-port VATS group, patients in the uniportal VATS group had shorter operation time (115.6±54.7 min vs. 141.5±62.8 min, P=0.001), less intraoperative blood loss (77.2±49.6 mL vs. 96.9±98.1 mL, P=0.050), less total thoracic drainage [394.0 (258.8, 580.0) mL vs. 530.0 (335.0, 817.5) mL, P=0.010], and shorter postoperative hospital stay (7.7±3.7 d vs. 8.7±3.5 d, P=0.031). Both groups showed similar stations and numbers of dissected lymph nodes, incidence of operation-related complications, duration of chest tube drainage, and the drainage volume in the first and second postoperative days (P>0.05). No tumor recurrence or metastasis was recorded in this cohort during the follow-up of 11 (1-26) months. ConclusionSingle-direction uniportal VATS anatomical segmentectomy is safe and feasible for the treatment of pulmonary nodules, with better short-term efficacy as compared with the three-port VATS procedure, including shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss and thoracic drainage. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the precise indications of segmentectomy for lung cancer.
Objective To compare the effect of uniportal and multiportal thoracoscopic lobectomy, and to explore the advantages and applications of uniportal thoracoscopic lobectomy in enhanced recovery after surgery. Methods Totally 169 patients with video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy in Department of Thoracic Surgery of Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January to December 2016 were enrolled. There were 99 males and 70 females with age of 60.83±7.24 years. Patients were divided into two groups: a uniportal group (78 patients) and a multiportal group (91 patients) . Patients’ clinical and pathological materials were collected. Postoperative pain, complications and hospital stay, etc of the two groups were compared. Results All patients were successfully discharged without serious postoperative complication or death. Patients in the multiportal group had smaller surgical incisions than that in the uniportal group (3.12±0.73 cm vs. 6.38±1.50 cm, P=0.016). Pain scores at postoperative 24 and 48 hours of the uniportal group were less than those of multiportal group (4.18±1.67 vs. 6.54±1.83, 3.05±1.47 vs. 4.68±1.64, P<0.05). Operation data, postoperative complications and hospital stay were similar in both groups. Conclusion Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy makes smaller incisions and can further reduce postoperative pain and dosage of morphine. The operation is safe and worthy of wide application in enhanced recoveryafter surgery.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube with metal support on the formation of thoracic residual cavity after uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) upper lobectomy. MethodsThe clinical data of the patients who underwent uniportal VATS upper lobectomy for lung cancer in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2021 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the type of ultrafine drainage tube used in the surgery, the patients were divided into a test group (using metal-supported multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube) and a control group (using ordinary 12F ultrafine drainage tube). The incidence of postoperative thoracic residual cavity and operation-related data were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 200 patients were enrolled, including 126 males and 74 females, with a mean age of 57.52 years. There were 90 patients in the test group, and 110 patients in the control group. The incidence of postoperative thoracic residual cavity in the test group was lower than that in the control group (P=0.045). The differences in the postoperative bedtime, postoperative visual analogue scale, postoperative analgesic pump using time, postoperative hospitalization time, times of postoperative thoracentration and drainage, postoperative drainage time and hospitalization cost between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). The incidences of postoperative lung infection, pleural effusion and atelectasis complications were lower in the test group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The differences in the preoperative anesthesia time, operation time, intraoperative bleeding and postoperative lung leakage were not statistically significant (P>0.05). ConclusionThe use of multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube with metal support can reduce the incidence of thoracic residual cavity after uniportal VATS upper lobectomy, and can reduce pain and economical burdens and the incidence of operation-related complications, accelerating the recovery of patients after surgery. The application of multi-sided foramen ultrafine drainage tube with metal support in uniportal VATS upper lobectomy can be widely used in the clinic.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of sublobar resection and lobectomy via uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (U-VATS) for lung metastases from colorectal cancer.MethodsRetrospective research was conducted on 42 colorectal cancer patients with lung metastases who underwent U-VATS sublobar resection and lobectomy at the Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between April 2016 and May 2019, including 24 males and 18 females with an average age of 58.0±9.9 years. Among them 17 patients received U-VATS sublobar resection and 25 patients received lobectomy. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative pulmonary infection, drainage tube indwelling time, drainage volume on the first day after surgery, postoperative hospital stay were analyzed between the two groups, and the relationship between the prognosis and clinical characteristics of the two groups was compared.ResultsSublobar resection patients had less lung metastases (P=0.043) and shorter operation time (P=0.023) compared with the lobectomy patients. There was no significant difference between the lobectomy and sublobar resection groups in intraoperative blood loss (P=0.169), rate of postoperative infection (P=0.982), postoperative drainage duration (P=0.265), drainage volume on the first day after surgery (P=0.402) and postoperative hospital stay (P=0.612). The progression-free survival of the two groups was 25.19 months and 23.63 months (P=0.721), and their overall survival was 29.09 months and 30.64 months (P=0.554).ConclusionConsidering guantity and locations of lung metastases, U-VATS sublobar resection can achieve a similar prognosis to lobectomy for lung metastases from colorectal cancer. Further efficacy of this surgical strategy remains to be proved by longer follow-up.
With the development of precision diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, anatomical segmentectomy has become an important surgical procedure for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. After the widespread popularization of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), the treatment of lung cancer has entered the era of minimally invasive surgery. Since it was first reported in 2012, uniportal video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy has gained increasing clinical application. Uniportal VATS is less invasive than thoracotomy and traditional VATS. At present, the main research hotspots around uniportal video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy include specific indications, short-term and long-term efficacy, and learning curve. This article will introduce the characteristics, indications and surgical techniques of this procedure, then summarize and discuss the latest research progress of uniportal video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy based on the latest evidence-based evidence.
With the continuous advancement and development of minimally invasive techniques, uniportal thoracoscopic minimally invasive esophagectomy (UTMIE) has gradually expanded its application in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer due to its significant advantages, including minimal trauma, aesthetically pleasing incisions, and reduced postoperative pain. This consensus is based on the latest evidence-based medical data from both domestically and internationally, combined with extensive clinical practice experiences from numerous experts. It systematically reviews and summarizes the indications, key technical points, learning curve characteristics, perioperative management strategies, as well as prevention and management of complications associated with UTMIE. To ensure the scientific rigor and authority of this consensus, a total of 83 experts in the field were invited to participate in multiple rounds of Delphi surveys for in-depth discussion and consultation. Ultimately, 24 recommendations were formulated to guide the standardized application of UTMIE in clinical practice. The aim of this consensus is to standardize and guide the clinical implementation of UTMIE, ensuring safety and efficacy while promoting more efficient and widespread development of this surgical approach.
Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of thulium laser wedge resection of the lung under uniportal thoracoscopy with the other two traditional surgical methods (mechanical cutting stapler wedge resection and segmentectomy) in the treatment of small pulmonary nodules.MethodsClinical data of 125 patients with small pulmonary nodules receiving uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery from December 2017 to December 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 33 patients had thulium laser wedge resection (a thulium laser group), including 10 males and 23 females, with an average age of 59.21±11.31 years; 48 patients had mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection (a mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection group), including 17 males and 31 females, with an average age of 57.27±11.30 years; and 44 patients had pulmonary segmentectomy (a pulmonary segmentectomy group), including 21 males and 23 females, with an average age of 63.00±9.68 years. The surgical margin air leakage, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, drainage days, average daily drainage volume, fever, pain and hospitalization expenses were compared among the three groups. ResultsThe body mass index, gender, smoking history, benign and malignant pathological results, average maximum diameter of lesions and lesion location distribution were not statistically different among the three groups (P>0.05). The average age and the proportion of pleural adhesions in the thulium laser group were not statistically different from those of the other two groups (P>0.05). In the distribution of the number of lesions, the proportion of multiple lesions in the mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection group was higher than that of the other two groups, and there was no statistical difference between the other two groups. The intraoperative blood loss in the thulium laser group was less than that of the other two groups (P≤0.05). There was no statistical difference in the classification of surgical margin air leakage or the operation time among the three groups (P>0.05). The proportion of postoperative fever and hospitalization expenses in the thulium laser group were lower or less than those of the other two groups (P<0.05). The length of hospitalization stay and postoperative chest tube placement in the thulium laser group was significantly shorter than that of the pulmonary segmentectomy group (P<0.05), which was not statistically different from the mechanical stapling pulmonary wedge resection group (P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in the average daily drainage volume or the proportion of pain among the three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The thulium laser wedge resection under uniportal thoracoscopy is a safe, effective and economical method for the treatment of small pulmonary nodules.
Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and long-term survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by uniportal or three portal thoracoscopic radical resection. Methods A total of 388 patients who underwent uniportal or three portal thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Anhui Chest Hospital from 2015 to 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups including an uniportal group and a three portal group according to the procedure. The clinicopathological features, perioperative data and long-term survival of the two groups were compared. Results Finally, we included 205 patients with 105 males and 100 females at an average age of 58.73±10.93 years. There were 102 patients in the uniportal group and 103 patients in the three portal group. There was no statistical difference in clinicopathological features between the two groups (P>0.05). But compared with the three portal group, the uniportal group had less postoperative drainage, shorter postoperative catheterization time and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the number of lymph node dissection stations between the two groups (P=0.058). The pain score at 24 hours after operation in the uniportal group was significantly lower than that in the three portal group (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the total incidence of complications and the incidence of pulmonary complications between the two groups (P=0.161 and P=0.275). The median survival period and the 1st, 3rd, and 5th year survival rate in the uniportal group was 63.0 months and 95.0%, 75.2%, 51.5%, respectively. The median survival period and the 1st, 3rd, and 5th year survival rate in the three portal group was 61.0 months and 89.3%, 70.9%, 50.5%, respectively. There was no satistical difference in the survival results between the two groups (P=0.440). Conclusion Uniportal thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer is more minimally invasive and safe and effective in the treatment of NSCLC. It can make patients recover faster after operation.