Vessel sealing system for video-assisted lung resection for cancer reduces chylothorax and bleeding

The objective of this study was to analyze the efficacy of the LigaSure^TM vessel sealing system for lung cancer resection with node dissection, as this has not been sufficiently evaluated.

From 2004 to 2018, 948 patients underwent anatomical pulmonary resection with node dissection for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) via the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach. Medical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the risk factors for chylothorax and blood loss.

Of the 948 patients, 318 (33.5%) who underwent anatomical lung resection with node dissection by conventional methods without vessel sealing system and 630 (66.5%) who underwent lung resection with node dissection with the vessel sealing system were included. The median intraoperative blood loss was 100 mL. Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 9 (2.8%) patients in the conventional method group with 2 (0.3%) patients in the vessel sealing system group (P=0.001). Patients in the vessel sealing group who developed chylothorax were cured by conservative treatment. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified male sex [odds ratio (OR) 2.053; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.494-2.820; P<0.001] and the use of vessel sealing system (OR 0.342; 95% CI: 0.256-0.457; P<0.001) as independent predictors of intraoperative blood loss. The univariate and multivariate analyses identified the use of the vessel sealing system (OR 0.108; 95% CI: 0.023-0.504; P=0.005) as an independent predictor of chylothorax incidence.

Vessel sealing system for lung cancer resection could decrease chest tube duration, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and incidence of chylothorax in patients who undergo lung resection with node dissection.