Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026
04:38
Subcostal Specimen Removal in Completely Portal Robotic Lobectomy
Published on: April 19, 2024
598
Postoperative pain after robotic versus VATS thymectomy: a comparative cohort study
Junichi Murakami1, Toshiki Tanaka2, Mototsugu Shimokawa3
1Department of Surgery and Clinical Science, Division of Chest Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan. murajun@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
Journal of Robotic Surgery
|October 9, 2025
Summary
Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) offers reduced postoperative pain and faster recovery compared to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for thymectomy. This robotic approach provides significant patient-centered benefits, especially in the early recovery phase.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic surgery
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Robotic surgery
Background:
- Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) is an alternative to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for thymectomy.
- Limited data exist comparing postoperative pain, a key patient outcome, between RATS and VATS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare longitudinal pain trajectories and recovery outcomes between RATS and VATS thymectomy.
- To evaluate patient-centered benefits of RATS versus VATS.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 125 patients (58 RATS, 67 VATS) undergoing thymectomy.
- Primary endpoints: postoperative pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale) and time to pain recovery (NRS ≤ 2).
- Multivariate analysis adjusted for confounders to identify predictors of pain recovery.
Main Results:
- RATS group reported lower overall pain scores (p < 0.001) and faster time to pain recovery (p < 0.001) than VATS.
- RATS was associated with less blood loss and shorter hospital stay.
- RATS approach and omission of chest tube drainage predicted faster pain recovery.
Conclusions:
- RATS thymectomy results in lower postoperative pain intensity and quicker recovery than VATS.
- The robotic approach demonstrates superior patient-centered benefits, particularly in the early postoperative period.
