Thoracoscopic lobectomy through the pulmonary hilum approach for the treatment of congenital lung malformation.

Background: Thoracoscopic lobectomy is widely accepted for the treatment of congenital lung malformations (CLM), owing to its advantages. However, severe incomplete interlobar fissure may lead to a high rate of conversion to thoracotomy and postoperational complications. Thoracoscopic lobectomy utilizing the pulmonary hilum approach may be an effective and safe method to resolve these problems. This retrospective study was conducted to estimate the safety and efficiency of this approach.

Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was performed in our institution, from January 2014 to December 2019, and 432 patients with CLM who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy through the pulmonary hilum approach were included in this study. Patients were divided into the incomplete fissure (IF) group and complete fissure (CF) group according to the level of fissure, which was proposed by an anatomical classification of pulmonary fissures.

Results: Patients in the IF and CF groups were 131 and 301, respectively. In univariate analysis, there were statistical significances between the two groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.04), surgical time (P = 0.01), the number of chest tube drainages (P < 0.01), and the total length of hospital stay (P = 0.03). However, no patients experienced bronchopleural fistula, postoperative pneumonia, or conversion to thoracotomy in either group. Five patients experienced prolonged air leakage in the IF group, and no prolonged air leakage occurred in the CF group.

Conclusion: An IF would certainly increase the difficulty of CLM surgery, and thoracoscopic lobectomy using the pulmonary hilum approach is an effective and safe method for CLM patients.