Feasibility and effectiveness of thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy for non-small cell lung cancer

The outcomes of minimally invasive thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) still need to be defined. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy in patients with early peripheral NSCLC. This was a retrospective study of patients with early peripheral NSCLC admitted between January 2013 and January 2017. Patients were divided into the segmentectomy and lobectomy groups (40/group), according to the surgery they underwent. Blood loss, operation time, removal of drainage tube time, inflammatory response after operation, postoperative complications, postoperative lung function, local recurrence, and survival were compared. Blood loss and removal of drainage tube time were not significantly different between the 2 groups (all P > .05). Operation time in the segmentectomy group was longer than in the lobectomy group (P < .001). The postoperative interleukin-6, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein changes in the segmentectomy group were significantly lower than in the lobectomy group (all P < .001). The pulmonary function at 2 weeks was significantly reduced in the 2 groups (all P < .001), but it was better in the segmentectomy group than in the lobectomy group (all P < .05). The 1- and 3-year local recurrence disease-free, and overall survival rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P > .05). The multivariable analysis could not identify any factor associated with local recurrence or survival (all P > .05). Thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy and lobectomy are both acceptable for the treatment of early peripheral NSCLC, but segmentectomy was associated with lower postoperative inflammation and better postoperative pulmonary function than lobectomy.