20-Fr Versus 24-Fr Chest Drains After Uniportal VATS Lobectomy for NSCLC

Overview

This randomized clinical trial compared two different chest drain sizes, 20 Fr and 24 Fr, in patients undergoing lung lobectomy for lung cancer. The study aimed to determine whether the size of the chest drain affects postoperative recovery. Outcomes included the presence of pneumothorax and pleural effusion, postoperative pain, subcutaneous emphysema, prolonged air leak, duration of chest drainage, and length of hospital stay. A total of 80 patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a 20-Fr or a 24-Fr chest drain.

Chest drainage is routinely used after pulmonary lobectomy to evacuate air and fluid from the pleural cavity and promote lung re-expansion. However, the optimal chest drain size after minimally invasive lung surgery remains uncertain. Smaller chest drains may improve patient comfort and reduce postoperative pain, but their ability to provide adequate pleural drainage compared with larger drains requires evaluation. This single-center, prospective, randomized interventional study compared 20-Fr and 24-Fr chest drains in patients undergoing uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic (uVATS) lung lobectomy with systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Eligible patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a 20-Fr or a 24-Fr thoracic drain at the end of surgery. Postoperative assessment included radiographic evaluation for pneumothorax and residual pleural effusion, as well as evaluation of subcutaneous emphysema, prolonged air leak, analgesic use, postoperative pain using the Numerical Rating Scale, chest drain duration, and length of hospital stay. The study was designed to evaluate whether chest drain size influences postoperative clinical outcomes and patient comfort following minimally invasive pulmonary lobectomy.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes