Treatment of Bronchiectasis in the Era of Minimally Invasive Surgery: 10-Year Experience in a Single Center

Bronchiectasis is a chronic pulmonary disease characterized by permanent enlargement of the bronchi and bronchioles. Anatomic resection of the affected lung part is still the most valid treatment option in localized disease. Despite the promising results of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in patients with early-stage lung cancer, VATS is still controversial in bronchiectasis. In this study, we aim to present our surgical experience in patients with bronchiectasis by comparing the results of VATS and thoracotomy groups. We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent anatomic lung resection via VATS and thoracotomy for the treatment of bronchiectasis between January 2009 and December 2019. Between January 2009 and December 2019, 50 patients with bronchiectasis were surgically treated in our department. Among them, 20 patients underwent attempted VATS lung resection, and 30 patients underwent thoracotomy. There was no difference in the intraoperative and postoperative complications, but postoperative pain scores were lower in the VATS group. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a safe and feasible technique in the surgical treatment of bronchiectasis.