OBJECTIVE: In pulmonary lobectomy, the dissection through the fissure to gain access to the pulmonary artery may increase the risk of postoperative air leak. For several anatomic reasons, this risk is especially high after right upper lobectomies (RULs). The objective of this investigation was to verify the efficacy of an anterior fissureless lobectomy (FL) technique in reducing the incidence and duration of air leak after RUL. METHODS: An observational analysis was performed of 206 consecutive patients (2002-2009) submitted to RUL for non-small-cell lung cancer. Operations were performed through a muscle-sparing lateral thoracotomy. Patients with completely developed fissures were excluded. No sealants or buttressing material were used. For group TR (traditional resection, 146 patients), RUL was performed by traditional intra-fissure dissection of the pulmonary artery; for group FL (60 patients), RUL was carried out by fissureless division of all hilar vascular structures. Several perioperative variables were used in identifying propensity score-matched pairs of patients undergoing traditional and fissureless lobectomies. The matched groups were then compared in terms of incidence of prolonged air leak, air leak duration, operation time, chest tubes duration, hospital stay and costs. RESULTS: Propensity score analysis yielded 58 well-matched pairs of patients operated by traditional or fissureless RUL. Compared to those in the traditional group, patients in group FL had a mean reduction in air leak duration, duration of chest tube and postoperative stay of 1.1, 1.4 and 1.2 days, respectively. This translated into an average hospital cost saving of 569 euro per patient. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an anterior fissureless technique during RUL reduced the duration of air leak and hospital costs without increasing the surgical time. Given its simplicity and efficacy, we regard it as a useful tool for implementing fast-tracking policies and cutting hospital costs.
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