Pulmonary function, postoperative pain, and serum cytokine level after lobectomy: a comparison of VATS and conventional procedure

Background. Although lobectomy by the video-assisted thoracic surgical (VATS) approach is assumed to be less invasive than lobectomy by the standard posterolateral thoracotomy (PLT) approach, it has not been scientifically proven. Methods. Twenty-two consecutive, nonrandomized patients, underwent either a VATS approach (n = 13) or a posterolateral thoracotomy approach (n = 9) to perform pulmonary lobectomy for peripheral lung cancers in clinical stage I. Pain and serum cytokines were measured until postoperative day (POD) 14. Pulmonary function tests were performed on POD 7 and POD 14. Results. Postoperative pain was significantly less in the VATS group on PODs 0, 1, 7, and 14. Recovery of pulmonary function was statistically better in the VATS group. Negative correlations between the recovery rates of pulmonary function and postoperative pain were observed on POD 7. The serum interleukin-6 level in the PLT group was significantly elevated on POD 0 compared with the VATS group (posterolateral thoracotomy: 21.6 ± 24.3 pg/mL; VATS: 4.1 ± 7.9 pg/mL, p = 0.03). Conclusions. Lobectomy by the VATS approach generates less pain and cytokine production, and preserves better pulmonary function in the early postoperative phase.