• Tadashi Aoki, Masanori Tsuchida, Takehisa Hashimoto, Masayuki Saito, Terumoto Koike, and Jun-ichi Hayashi.
• Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. taoki@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
• Heart Lung Circ. 2007 Aug 1;16(4):285-9.

ObjectiveTo assess the benefit of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), we compared time-related quality of life (QOL) after lobectomy performed by VATS to that performed by thoracotomy.MethodsThirty-three patients underwent surgery for lung cancer during the period April 2001 through November 2002 completed a mailed questionnaire after surgery.ResultsOver time, improved QOL was reported in six dimensions by VATS patients but in only two dimensions by thoracotomy patients. There was significant improvement in bodily pain subscores in both groups during the 36 months after surgery. At 3 months after surgery, QOL scores for all eight dimensions were lower in the VATS group, but QOL scores for all eight dimensions did not differ significant between groups at 3 or 12 months after surgery. At 36 months after surgery, QOL scores for six dimensions were higher in the VATS group, and the difference was significant in scores for two dimensions.ConclusionWe found recovery was quicker in patients who underwent VATS than in those who underwent thoracotomy.

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