Comparison of the Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy versus Open Thoracotomy for Primary Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Single Cohort Study with 269 Cases

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy with open thoracotomy lobectomy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: There were 269 cases with NSCLC who underwent lobectomy between 2017-2019; these cases were retrospectively studied. VATS lobectomy (VATS Group) and open thoracotomy lobectomy (Thoracotomy Group) patients’ results were compared according to the length of hospitalizations, early postoperative complications and tumor size and stages. RESULTS: VATS lobectomy was performed in 89 (33%) of these patients, whereas 180 (67%) patients underwent lobectomy using open thoracotomy for NSCLC. The findings showed that the average length of hospitalization was shorter in the VATS Group compared to the Thoracotomy Group (4 vs. 5.5 days) (p<0.05). It was found that the mean size of the tumour was smaller in the VATS Group when compared to the Thoracotomy Group (2.66 cm vs 3.97 cm) (p<0.001). Early postoperative complications were lower in the VATS Group (n=15, 16.8% vs n=58, 32.2%; p<0.021). CONCLUSION: In VATS lobectomy cases, postoperative complications are less, and the length of hospitalization is shorter. VATS lobectomy is mostly preferred smaller than 3 cm tumor size.