Safety and feasibility of preferential manual bronchoplasty in 2–3 cm single‐port video‐assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aimed to compare preferential manual bronchoplasty (PMB) and mechanical stapler closure (MSC) of the bronchial stump after 2–3 cm single‐port (SP) video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy in patients with pathological T1 (pT1) stage lung cancer. METHODS: Between January 2019 and March 2022, patients with pulmonary neoplasms who underwent 2–3 cm SP VATS lobectomy were retrospectively screened. After propensity‐matched analysis, we compared perioperative outcomes and analyzed the safety and feasibility of PMB and MSC of the bronchial stump while performing VATS lobectomy. RESULTS: In this study, 280 and 832 patients were enrolled in the PMB and MSC groups, respectively. Propensity score matching produced 280 pairs. The operation time was shorter in the PMB group, whereas the average number of lymph nodes dissected was higher in the PMB group. The conversion rate was significantly lower in the PMB group. The following were similar between the PMB and MSC groups, respectively: average blood loss volume, postoperative hospital stay, and chest tube removal time. Postoperatively, the incidence of atelectasis was significantly higher in the MSC group. As per subgroup analyses, PMB was associated with a shorter operation time in left and right upper lobectomies. Particularly in left upper lobectomy, PMB had more lymph node dissections and less conversion to open and postoperative atelectasis. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with MSC of the bronchial stump, PMB showed better safety and feasibility in 2–3 cm SP VATS left and right superior lobectomies in patients with pT1 stage lung cancer.