Clinical analysis of single-port thoracoscopic segmentectomy for elderly patients with pulmonary nodules

Objective：To share the clinical experience of single-port thoracoscopic segmentectomy for elderly patients with pulmonary nodules. Methods：From May 2016 to December 2017, a total of 32 patients with pulmonary nodules and aged over 70 years underwent single-port thoracoscopic segmentectomy, including 23 males and 9 females. The patients’ age was 71-85 (75.6 ± 6.5) years; All patients were in healthy lateral position, and the endoscopy was performed on the 7th or 8th floor of the midaxillary line, and 2-3 cm operation holes were made between the 3-4 intercostal lines in the axillary front, and the anatomical pulmonary segment was resected. Results：The surgery was successfully completed in all patients, including upper right lung resection in 5 cases, upper right after lung resection in 6 cases, upper right lung resection in 4 cases, due back right lower lobe resection in 5 cases, left upper lung tip after resection in 5 cases, left pulmonary tongue resection in 3 cases, and lower left lung resection in 4 cases. The pulmonary nodule diameter was 7-22 (13.6±6.3) mm, operation time, 42-166 (86.6±36.3) min, intraoperative bleeding, 50-200 (85.5±54.8) mL, postoperative hospital stay, 4-8 (5.6±3.3) days, there were no deaths during hospitalization, but 1 case of postoperative atelectasis, 1 case of pulmonary continuous leakage that is more than 3 days, and recovered after treatment, and all the others recovered smoothly. Conclusions：The single-port thoracoscopic lung segmental resection has less trauma and fewer complications, which might be beneficial to the postoperative recovery of elderly patients with pulmonary nodules.