Pulmonary function changes after sublobar resection in patients with peripheral non-subpleural nodules

In the treatment of peripheral early-staged lung cancer and benign lesions, segmentectomy and wedge resection are both reliable treatment methods. It is debatable that how much pulmonary function will be lost after different sublobar resection in the treatment of early-staged deep-located peripheral NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer). The purpose of this study was to explore postoperative pulmonary function changes of sublobar resection in enrolled patients with non-subpleural peripheral nodules.

We collected clinical data of patients undergoing VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) segmentectomy or wedge resection for single nodule. These nodules were confirmed as peripheral non-subpleural nodules by preoperative 3D imaging. Patients were divided into two groups according to the operation procedure. Demographic characteristics, pulmonary function, postoperative outcomes, and others were collected. All data was gathered at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Outcomes after wedge resection were compared with those after segmentectomy resection.

A total of 88 patients were included in this study, including 46 patients with VATS wedge resection and 42 patients with VATS segmentectomy. No difference was detected when comparing FEV₁ (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) loss between these two groups (17.6 ± 2.1%, wedge resection vs. 19.4 ± 5.4%, segmentectomy, P = 0.176). FVC (forced vital capacity) loss (8.7 ± 2.3%, wedge resection vs. 17.1 ± 2.2%, segmentectomy, P < 0.001) and MVV (maximum ventilatory volume) loss (11.5 ± 3.1%, wedge resection vs. 20.6 ± 7.8%, segmentectomy, P < 0.001) in segmentectomy group was significantly higher than those in wedge resection group. Discrepancies were investigated when comparing duration of surgery (70 ± 22 min, wedge resection vs. 111 ± 52 min, segmentectomy, P = 0.0002), postoperative drainage (85 ± 45 mL, wedge resection vs. 287 ± 672 mL, segmentectomy, P = 0.0123), and treatment hospitalization expenses [35148 ± 889CNY, wedge resection vs. 52,502 (38,276–57,772) CNY, segmentectomy, P < 0.0002]. No significant difference was found between air leak time (1.7 ± 0.7 days, wedge resection vs. 2.5 ± 1.7 days, segmentectomy, P = 0.062) and hospitalization time (2.7 ± 0.7 days, wedge resection vs. 3.5 ± 1.7 days, segmentectomy, P = 0.051).

For patients with peripheral non-subpleural nodules, we observed that patients who underwent wedge resection had less lung function loss than those who underwent segmentectomy when their lung function was reviewed at the 6th month after surgery. Patients undergoing wedge resection had partial advantages over patients with segmental resection in terms of hospitalization cost, operation time and postoperative drainage, etc. Wedge resection, as a treatment for peripheral non-subpleural pulmonary nodules, seemed to have more advantages in preserving patients’ pulmonary function.