Ricardo Mingarini Terra1, Thamara Kazantzis1, Darcy Ribeiro Pinto-Filho2, Spencer Marcantonio Camargo3, Francisco Martins-Neto4,5, Anderson Nassar Guimarães6, Carlos Alberto Araújo7, Luis Carlos Losso8, Mario Claudio Ghefter9, Nuno Ferreira de Lima10, Antero Gomes-Neto5, Flávio Brito-Filho10, Rui Haddad11, Maurício Guidi Saueressig12, Alexandre Marcelo Rodrigues Lima13, Rafael Pontes de Siqueira5, Astunaldo Júnior de Macedo e Pinho14, Fernando Vannucci15
J Bras Pneumol.2016;42(3):215-221
Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the results of anatomic pulmonary resections performed by video-assisted thoracoscopy in Brazil. Methods: Thoracic surgeons (members of the Brazilian Society of Thoracic Surgery) were invited, via e-mail, to participate in the study. Eighteen surgeons participated in the project by providing us with retrospective databases containing information related to anatomic pulmonary resections performed by video-assisted thoracoscopy. Demographic, surgical, and postoperative data were collected with a standardized instrument, after which they were compiled and analyzed. Results: The surgeons provided data related to a collective total of 786 patients (mean number of resections per surgeon, 43.6). However, 137 patients were excluded because some data were missing. Therefore, the study sample comprised 649 patients. The mean age of the patients was 61.7 years. Of the 649 patients, 295 (45.5%) were male. The majority-521 (89.8%)-had undergone surgery for neoplasia, which was most often classified as stage IA. The median duration of pleural drainage was 3 days, and the median hospital stay was 4 days. Of the 649 procedures evaluated, 598 (91.2%) were lobectomies. Conversion to thoracotomy was necessary in 30 cases (4.6%). Postoperative complications occurred in 124 patients (19.1%), the most common complications being pneumonia, prolonged air leaks, and atelectasis. The 30-day mortality rate was 2.0%, advanced age and diabetes being found to be predictors of mortality. Conclusions: Our analysis of this representative sample of patients undergoing pulmonary resection by video-assisted thoracoscopy in Brazil showed that the procedure is practicable and safe, as well as being comparable to those performed in other countries.
Keywords: Thoracic surgery, video-assisted; Thoracoscopy; Pneumonectomy.