Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026
Subcostal Specimen Removal in Completely Portal Robotic Lobectomy
Published on: April 19, 2024
Comparison of pulmonary function tests and perioperative outcomes after robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy vs
Maria F Echavarria1, Anna M Cheng1, Frank O Velez-Cubian2
1Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Background:
Lobectomy is standard treatment for early-stage lung cancer, but sublobar resection remains debated. We compared outcomes after robotic-assisted video-assisted thoracoscopic (R-VATS) segmentectomy vs lobectomy.
Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed data from 251 consecutive patients who underwent R-VATS lobectomy (n = 208) or segmentectomy (n = 43) by a single surgeon over 36 months. Pulmonary function tests and perioperative outcomes were compared using Chi-squared test, unpaired Student t test, or Kruskal-Wallis test, with significance at P ≤ .05.
Results:
Intraoperative complications were not significantly different, but median operative times were longer for R-VATS segmentectomies (P < .01). Postoperative complications were not significantly different, except for increased rates of pneumothorax after chest tube removal (P = .032) and of effusions or empyema (P = .011) after R-VATS segmentectomies. Predicted changes for forced expiratory volume in 1 second and diffusion constant of the lung for carbon monoxide are significantly less after R-VATS segmentectomy (P < .001).
Conclusions:
R-VATS segmentectomy should be considered as an alternative to lobectomy for conserving lung function in respiratory-compromised lung cancer patients, although oncologic efficacy remains undetermined.
