A totally thoracoscopic approach for pulmonary anatomic segmentectomies

Reported experience with video-assisted anatomic pulmonary segmentectomy is still limited. Over a 28-month period, totally thoracoscopic (TT) anatomic segmentectomies, i.e. using only endoscopic instrumentation and video-display without utility incision, were attempted on 50 patients (25 males and 25 females), aged 18-81 years (mean: 57 years). The indication was a clinical N0 non-small cell lung carcinoma in 25 cases, a solitary metastasis in nine cases and a benign lesion in 16 cases. The following segmentectomies were performed: right apicosuperior (9) right superior (6), right basilar (7), lingula sparing left upper lobectomy (7), left apicosuperior (4), lingula (4), left superior (6) and left basilar (7). It was associated with a radical lymphadenectomy in 20 cases. There was one conversion to thoracotomy. The mean operative time was 188±54 min, the mean intraoperative blood loss was 91±82 ml (range: 0-450 ml). There were four minor postoperative complications (11.7%). The median postoperative stay was 5.6±2.4 days. Out of the 25 patients operated on for a cN0 lung carcinoma, two were finally upstaged to N2. TT anatomic pulmonary segmentectomies are feasible and safe.