Feasibility and validity of double-arm specimen extraction method after partial lung resection in single-port thoracoscopic surgery.

Background: Few previous reports have evaluated lung specimen extraction method or how to improve lung specimen extraction method, especially with single-port thoracoscopic surgery. We evaluated the feasibility and surgical advantages of double-arm lung specimen extraction method by comparing double-arm single-arm specimen extraction times.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data for 268 patients undergoing partial lung resection via single-port thoracoscopy and specimen extraction using a specimen extractor in the Union Medical College Hospital of Fujian Medical University from November 2017 to June 2018. We divided patients into groups based on the specimen location as an upper-lobe group (group I), lower-lobe group (group II), and lung-segment group (group III). We then performed a subgroup analysis based on the degree of collapse of the lung lobe specimens during extraction as follows: good in group IA and IIA, and poor in group IB and IIB.

Results: The double-arm method required statistically significantly less time than the single-arm method: (69.6±31.9 89.9±47.8 s, respectively, P=0.037). We found no significant difference in lung specimen extraction time for double-arm single-arm extraction in group I, II, or III (P=0.093, P=0.153, P=0.174, respectively). We also found no significant difference in lung specimen extraction time between the two methods in group IA and group IIA (P=0.165, P=0.649, respectively). However, in groups IB and IIB, extraction time with the double-arm method was significantly shorter compared with the single-arm method (64.4±12.3 89.1±12.1 s, P=0.034 and 113.8±27.1 160.0±31.8 s, P=0.042, respectively).

Conclusions: In single-port thoracoscopic partial lung resection, double-arm specimen extraction method is more convenient and can shorten sample extraction time, especially for upper- and lower-lung lobes with poor degree of collapse. Double-arm specimen extraction method is feasible and effective after single-port thoracoscopic partial lung resection.