ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and safety of da Vinci robotic surgery for elderly patients with pulmonary lobectomy. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 50 patients in General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region of Thoracic Surgery between May 2012 and March 2015.The patients were divided into two groups. Twenty five patients aged over 70 years underwent radical operation of lung cancer with da Vinci Robot System were allocated into a robot group with 17 males and 8 females at age of 72.6 ±2.5 years. Another 25 senile patients with radical surgery by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) were allocated into a thoracoscopic group with 17 males and 8 females at age of 72.5±2.4 years. The patients in the two groups underwent pulmonary lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. The clinical effect of the two groups was compared. ResultsAll patients were diagnosed as lung cancer. Twenty five patients all completed surgery under da Vinci Robot System in the robot group. In the thoracoscopic group, one patient was converted to thoracotomy. There were statistical differences in amount of blood loss (66.2±44.2 ml vs. 356.0±349.2 ml, P=0.000), lymph node number (23.2±9.8 vs. 11.3±5.6, P=0.012), and postoperative bed time (3.5±0.9 d vs. 4.2±1.1 d, P=0.017) between the two groups. Effect in the robot group was superior to that in the thoracoscopic group. ConclusionDa Vinci robotic surgery system for elderly patients with lung cancer radical surgery is safe, effective, and less thoracoscopic surgery trauma, recovery faster.
ObjectiveTo summarize our initial experience in robot-assisted left upper lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. MethodsFour patients with non-small cell lung cancer underwent robot-assisted left upper lobectomy with da Vinci S surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, California) in General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command between March and August 2013. There were 3 male and 1 female patients, and their age was 58.8 years (range:49-67 years). We used general anesthesia with double lumens trachea cannula. The patients set in right lateral decubitus position with jackknife. We used 3 arms of the robot system. A single direction lobectomy procedure or an anatomic lobectomy procedure was used according to the differentiation of fissure. Systemic lymph node dissection was performed for all patients. ResultsFour patients with left upper lobectomy were completed with total robotic procedure without conversion. Postoperative pathological examination showed all the patients were of all adenocarcinoma with 2 patients inⅠA stage and 2 patients inⅢA stage. The range of operating time was 100-150 min, intraoperative blood loss was 30-80 ml and no blood transfusion was needed for the patients. The drainage time was 6-20 days. All of the 4 patients were discharged smoothly. The patients were followed up for 10-15 months without recurrence or metastasis. ConclusionRobot-assisted left upper lobectomy is safe and feasible for non-small cell lung cancer.