Mid-Term Outcomes of Single-Port versus Conventional Three-Port Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax

BACKGROUND: The benefits of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) have been demonstrated over the past decades; as a result, VATS has become the gold-standard treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Due to improvements in surgical technique and equipment, single-port VATS (s-VATS) is emerging as an alternative approach to conventional three-port VATS (t-VATS). The aim of this study was to evaluate s-VATS as a treatment for PSP by comparing operative outcomes and recurrence rates for s-VATS versus t-VATS. METHODS: Between March 2013 and December 2015, VATS for PSP was performed in 146 patients in Kyungpook National University Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of these patients. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 13.4±6.5 months in the s-VATS group and 28.7±3.9 months in the t-VATS group. Operative time (p<0.001), the number of staples used for the operation (p=0.001), duration of drainage (p=0.001), and duration of the postoperative stay (p<0.001) were significantly lower in the s-VATS group than in the t-VATS group. There was no difference in the overall recurrence-free survival rate between the s-VATS and t-VATS groups. CONCLUSION: No significant differences in operative outcomes and recurrence rates were found between s-VATS and t-VATS for PSP. Therefore, we cautiously suggest that s-VATS may be an appropriate alternative to t-VATS in the treatment of PSP.