Abstract
While video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has gained acceptance as the recommended approach in the surgical management of resectable early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), newer minimally invasive techniques continue to evolve and show promise as viable alternatives. The increasingly popular robotic platform, praised for its improved dexterity and visualization, has advanced the ongoing debate regarding superiority among the minimally invasive approaches. A review of the best available literature comparing robotic and thoracoscopic lung resection in the treatment of early stage lung cancer was thus performed to determine the optimal approach. Although high level evidence remains limited to date, the results of the reviewed studies suggest that patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer can safely undergo either robotic or VATS lung resection with no compromise in morbidity, oncologic effectiveness, or survival. Robotic lobectomy was shown to have an increased cost; however, this variable may be reduced with increased technical proficiency and decreased operative times. Therefore, apart from the cost discrepancy favoring a VATS approach, the two minimally invasive techniques should be considered equivalent in regard to patient outcomes.
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Louie, B.E., Wilkerson, J. (2020). Robotic Versus Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) Major Lung Resection for Early Stage NSCLC. In: Ferguson, M. (eds) Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery. Difficult Decisions in Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47404-1_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47404-1_13
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