[Initial experiences with VATS lobectomy]

The authors analyse the experience of videothoracoscopic (VATS) lung lobectomies performed since December 2010 at the Thoracic Surgery Department of Markusovszky University Teaching Hospital.

78 patients (44 men and 34 women) underwent VATS lobectomy. The average age was 61.2 years ranging from 30 to 80. The indications were peripheral malignancy (35 cases) or the suspicion of that (43 cases), presence of curable distant metastasis was not considered as contraindication.

In the initial period the operation time was quite long, but shortly after the duration of surgery became almost similar to lobectomies via thoracotomy. Late reoperation was performed in two cases, one for chronic pneumothorax and one for port-site metastasis. 10 vessel and two bronchial injuries occurred, eight of them needed conversion into axillary thoracotomy (conversion rate 10.26%). The postoperative pain was significantly less than after thoracotomy.

VATS lobectomy is a safe procedure with less surgical stress and without oncological compromise.