Enhanced recovery after surgery using uniportal video‐assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer: A preliminary study

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the clinical efficiency of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) using uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of 83 patients with early‐stage non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2016 to February 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. ERAS was applied to 38 patients (ERAS group), while 45 patients received conventional surgical treatment (control group). The operative duration, number of lymph nodes retrieved, blood loss, visual analogue scale (VAS), postoperative duration of chest tube placement, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Surgeries were conducted successfully in all patients, and no mortality occurred during the perioperative period. The ERAS group had better VAS on the third postoperative day, shorter chest tube duration, and shorter length of hospital stay (P < 0.05). No differences between the groups in terms of operative duration, number of lymph nodes retrieved, blood loss, VAS on the first postoperative day, or complication rate were found (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ERAS using uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery for NSCLC patients is safe and practicable, and could also reduce the length of hospital stay.