Matsuzaki Tomohiko, Higeta Tomoki, Matsuo Kazuhiro, Maita Kie, Nakano Kei, Onozawa Hiroto, Wada Atsushi, Aruga Naohiro, Iwazaki Masayuki, Masuda Ryota
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
Tokai J Exp Clin Med. 2025 Jul 20;50(2):64-69.
In 1992, we devised an operation using the two-window method in which ports are created at only two sites in the thoracic wall for malignant lung tumors. However, in robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), five ports are considered necessary for most thoracic approaches, which is in contrast to the concept of minimal invasiveness. This study aimed to determine the outcome of the two ports and one-window method using fusion surgery for RATS.
Twenty-one RATSs were performed between November 2023 and September 2024. We performed the two ports and one-window method in all patients.
Among 21 planned RATSs for anatomical pulmonary resections, there were no conversions to thoracotomy and no requirement for extra ports. The mean surgery time was 121.0 minutes and the mean console time was 73.1 minutes. The mean intraoperative blood loss volume was 20.7 mL. The mean duration of chest tube drainage and hospital stay were 3.1 and 4.4 days, respectively. There were no postoperative complications or mortalities.
Our early results suggest that the two ports and one-window method is safe, feasible, and provides excellent perioperative outcomes.
