Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for right middle lobectomy in children
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
Thoracoscopic Extended Right Middle Plus Lower Sleeve Lobectomy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: February 27, 2026
Alexandra Gomola1, Olivier Gall1, Miche LE Larroquet1
1Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital d»enfants Armand Trousseau,Department of SurgeryHôpital d»enfants Armand Trousseau, Paris cedex 12, France.
Insights
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for pediatric right middle lobectomy showed no significant benefits or drawbacks compared to traditional thoracotomy. Operating times were longer with VATS, but patient outcomes and recovery were similar between the two surgical approaches.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
Background:
- Right middle lobectomy is a common thoracic procedure in children.
- Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) offers potential advantages over traditional thoracotomy.
- Evaluating VATS for pediatric right middle lobectomy is crucial for surgical decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the outcomes of VATS right middle lobectomy with muscle-sparing thoracotomy in children.
- To assess operative time, oxygen saturation, respiratory complications, and analgesic requirements.
- To determine the advantages and disadvantages of VATS in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-control study comparing 10 children undergoing VATS right middle lobectomy with 10 matched controls undergoing thoracotomy.
- Data collected included operative time, minimum oxygen saturation, and postoperative complications.
- Postoperative analgesic requirements were also compared between the two groups.
Main Results:
- VATS group had significantly longer operative times (146±28 min) than the thoracotomy group (100±27 min).
- Minimum oxygen saturation was higher in the VATS group, with no significant difference in oxygen requirements.
- Incidence of postoperative respiratory complications and analgesic requirements were similar between the groups.
Conclusions:
- This study found no significant benefit or disadvantage of VATS over standard thoracotomy for pediatric right middle lobectomy.
- While VATS operative times were longer, patient outcomes were comparable.
- Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the role of VATS in pediatric thoracic surgery.
Abstract:
This case-control study was designed to evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for right middle lobectomy in children. Ten children (6.1±3.0 yr, mean±SD) who underwent right middle lobectomy under videoscopy were compared with 10 controls matched for age (6.8±3.5 yr) and operated by thoracotomy (muscle-sparing technique) during the same period by the same surgeon. Operating time was significantly longer in the videoscopy group than in the thoracotomy group (146±28 mn vs 100±27 mn, P<0.001). Minimum oxygen saturation values were significantly higher in the videoscopy group whereas oxygen requirements did not differ between groups. Incidence of postoperative respiratory complications (mainly atelectasis) was similar in the two groups. No difference in postoperative analgesic requirements in the postoperative period was demonstrated. No real benefit or disadvantage of videoscopy over standard thoracotomy could be observed in this retrospective case-control study.
