• Bernard J Park, Franca Melfi, Alfredo Mussi, Patrick Maisonneuve, Lorenzo Spaggiari, Ruy Kuenzer Caetano Da Silva, and Giulia Veronesi.
• Division of Thoracic Surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA. bpark@humed.com
• J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2012 Feb 1;143(2):383-9.

Objective(S)We evaluated a large series of patients undergoing robotic lobectomy for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to assess long-term oncologic efficacy.MethodsA multi-institutional retrospective review of patients undergoing robotic lobectomy for NSCLC was performed. Robotic lobectomy was performed in a manner consistent with the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) consensus video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy technique using a robotic surgical system. Perioperative outcomes and long-term follow-up were recorded prospectively, and survival was calculated from the date of surgery to last follow-up.ResultsFrom November 2002 through May 2010, a total of 325 consecutive patients underwent robotic lobectomy for early-stage NSCLC at 3 institutions. The median age of patients was 66 years (range, 30-87 years), and 37% (120) were female. The majority were in clinical stage I (IA, 247; IB, 63). Conversion rate to thoracotomy was 8% (27/325). Overall morbidity rate was 25.2% (82/325), and major complication rate was 3.7% (12/325). There was 1 in-hospital death (0.3%), and the median length of stay was 5 days (range, 2-28 days). Pathologic stage distribution was 54% (176) IA, 22% (72) IB, 13% (41) IIA, 5% (15) IIB, and 6% (21) IIIA. With a median follow-up of 27 months, overall 5-year survival was 80% (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 73-88), and by pathologic stage, 91% (CI = 83-99) for stage IA, 88% (CI = 77-98) for stage IB, and 49% (CI = 24-74) for all patients with stage II disease. Overall 3-year survival for patients with stage IIIA disease was 43% (CI = 16-69).ConclusionsRobotic lobectomy for early-stage NSCLC can be performed with low morbidity and mortality. Long-term stage-specific survival is acceptable and consistent with prior results for VATS and thoracotomy.Copyright © 2012 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

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