Changes in patient-reported quality of life after lobectomy versus sublobar resection

To evaluate differences in patient-reported quality of life after lobectomy versus sublobar resection.

This was a retrospective analysis of patients enrolled in a prospective trial evaluating recovery after thoracic surgery using wearable devices and patient-reported outcome measures. Patients who underwent elective lobectomy or sublobar resection were included. Patients wore a wearable device preoperatively to postoperative day 90 and completed the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) preoperatively and on postoperative days 30 and 90. SF-36 total, Physical Component Summary (PCS), and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores at each timepoint were compared between patients who underwent lobectomy and those who underwent sublobar resection in both the overall cohort and a propensity score-matched cohort. Changes in SF-36 scores from baseline to postoperative day 30 and day 90 were compared in the lobectomy and sublobar resection groups using multivariable-adjusted linear regression models.

A total of 30 patients undergoing lobectomy and 55 undergoing sublobar resection were included. In both groups, overall quality of life was significantly lower at 30 days postoperatively compared to preoperatively but recovered to baseline levels by 90 days postoperatively. There were no significant differences in quality-of-life scores preoperatively and at 30 days and 90 days postoperatively between the 2 groups in unadjusted analysis or propensity score-matched analysis. There were also no statistically significant differences in changes in the SF-36, PCS, or MCS scores from baseline to postoperative day 30 and 90 between the 2 groups.

In this retrospective analysis, patients undergoing lobectomy and those undergoing sublobar resection reported similar changes in quality of life after surgery.