Comparison of pulmonary function tests and perioperative outcomes after robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy vs segmentectomy

BACKGROUND: Lobectomy is standard treatment for early-stage lung cancer, but sublobar resection remains debated. We compared outcomes after robotic-assisted video-assisted thoracoscopic (R-VATS) segmentectomy vs lobectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 251 consecutive patients who underwent RVATS lobectomy (n = 208) or segmentectomy (n = 43) by a single surgeon over 36 months. Pulmonary function tests and perioperative outcomes were compared using Chi-squared test, unpaired Student t test, or Kruskal-Wallis test, with significance at P <=.05. RESULTS: Intraoperative complications were not significantly different, but median operative times were longer for R-VATS segmentectomies (P<.01). Postoperative complications were not significantly different, except for increased rates of pneumothorax after chest tube removal (P=.032) and of effusions or empyema (P=.011) after R-VATS segmentectomies. Predicted changes for forced expiratory volume in 1 second and diffusion constant of the lung for carbon monoxide are significantly less after R-VATS segmentectomy (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: R-VATS segmentectomy should be considered as an alternative to lobectomy for conserving lung function in respiratory-compromised lung cancer patients, although oncologic efficacy remains undetermined. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.