Procedural times in early non-intubated VATS program - a propensity score analysis

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (NiVATS) aims to reduce invasiveness and intubation-related complications.
• Conventional one-lung ventilation (OLV) involves intubation and specific anesthetic management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the time effectiveness of NiVATS versus conventional OLV for minor thoracic procedures.
• To evaluate if NiVATS impacts procedural and recovery times.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing minor VATS at Leipzig University Hospital (Nov 2016 - Oct 2019).
• Comparison of NiVATS (n=67) and OLV (n=36) groups, matched using propensity score analysis (23 pairs).
• Statistical comparison using t-Tests for perioperative data.

Main Results:

• No significant differences between NiVATS and OLV groups, except for a higher frequency of wedge resections in the NiVATS group (p=0.043).
• NiVATS group demonstrated a significantly shorter recovery time (7 min, p=0.000).
• No significant differences observed in anesthesia induction time, surgical duration, or overall procedural time.

Conclusions:

• While NiVATS significantly reduces recovery time, this benefit does not extend to the total procedural time.
• NiVATS programs can be implemented without increasing overall procedural times, even during the initial phases.