Modular 3-cm uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer is accepted worldwide, with incisions ranging from 4 to 6 cm. We believed in less invasive and more precise that uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy could be. Therefore, we performed modular uniportal thoracoscopic lobectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy on left upper lobe using a 3-cm-diameter port. And the modular surgical route was arranged in seven modules. Anesthesia, patient positioning and instruments play an important role in the surgery. From October 2014 to June 2015, 96 patients underwent this modular surgery and all patient were discharged uneventfully with no postoperative deaths. Compared with multi-port VATS, the operation time were longer than multiport video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) (164.70±12.50 vs. 160.70±11.60 min, P>0.05), and the mean lymphadenectomy station was 6.00±0.77, and the mean lymphadenectomy number was 17.58±5.33. There is no significant difference on lymphadenectomy. Thus, modular uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy on left upper lobe using a 3-cm-diameter port is a safe, feasible, and less painful technique for select patients with lung disease.