Comparison of Two Techniques of Uniportal VATS Lobectomies for Clinical Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) pulmonary lobectomy became an accepted method for the treatment of early-stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). There are several variants of VATS lobectomy. In recent years the uniportal approach described by Gonzales-Rivas gained a world-wide interest. The uniportal VATS approach can be performed through the intercostal incision as has been practiced in vast majority of published cases, but there is also another approach, namely the transcervical one, first described by Zakopane team in 2007. In that time, right upper lobectomy and afterwards the left upper lobectomy through the transcervical approach combined with single-port intercostal VATS were performed. The method was to combine lobectomy with Transcervical Extended Mediastinal Lymphadenectomy (TEMLA), preceding a pulmonary resection with intraoperative examination of the mediastinal nodes with the imprint cytology technique. From 2016, after adopting the technique of uniportal intercostal lobectomy, transcervical VATS uniportal lobectomies, without additional intercostal ports were performed. Now, resection of any rightsided or left-sided lobe with the transcervical approach are feasible to be performed.

Surgical Technique Preparation The patient is positioned supine on the operating table with a roll placed beneath the thoracic spine to elevate the chest and to hyperextend the patient's neck. Under general anaesthesia an endobronchial tube is inserted to conduct selective lung ventilation during the latter part of the procedure.

A transverse 6-8 cm transcervical collar incision is made in the neck in a standard way with division and suture-ligation of the anterior jugular veins bilaterally. The sternal manubrium is elevated with sharp one-tooth hook connected to the Zakopane II frame (Aesculap-Chifa, BBraun, Nowy Tomysl, Poland) to widen the access to the mediastinum. The first part of the procedure is TEMLA. The technique of this procedure, and possible pitfalls and the methods of management of intraoperative complications were published elsewhere [6]. In brief, the technique of TEMLA included dissection of all mediastinal nodal stations except for the pulmonary ligaments nodes (station 9). The subcarinal nodes, the periesophageal nodes, the right and left lower paratracheal nodes, and the right hilar nodes (stations 7, 8, 4R, 4L and 10R) were removed in the mediastinoscopy-assisted technique and the paraaortic and the pulmonary-window nodes (stations 6 and 5) are removed in the videothoracoscopy-assisted technique, with the videothoracoscope inserted through the transcervical incision. The superior mediastnal nodes and upper right and left paratracheal nodes (stations 1, 2R and 2L) are removed in the open surgery fashion under direct eye control. The prevascular and retrotracheal nodes (stations 3A and 3P) are removed in pre-selective cases. Generally, the mediastinal pleura is not violated and no drain is left in the mediastinum. Bilateral supraclavicular lymphadenectomy and even deep cervical lymph node dissection is possible during TEMLA through the same incision.

The nodes removed during TEMLA are sent sequentially to intraoperative pathologic examination with use of the imprint cytology technique [4]. The imprint cytology technique is a highly reliable technique much less time consuming than a frozen section analysis. Due to this advantage the time of nodal examinations adds only 15 to 20 minutes to the total time of the operation. After receiving the negative results of the imprint cytology, confirming there are no nodal metastasis the VATS lobectomy part starts. The position of the patient is slightly changed with the introduction of the roll beneath the patient's operating side. Additionally, the operating table is rotated to achieve a semi-lateral position of the patient. The ventillation of the operated lung is disconnected and the mediastinal pleura is opened. Further dissection is performed with the use of endostaplers to manage the lobar vesselts, bronchus and interlobar fissures.