Assessment of the perioperative hemodynamics and right ventricular performance of lung cancer patients using a continuous cardiac output monitoring system: comparison between video-assisted thoracic surgery and muscle-sparing thoracotomy.

PURPOSE This prospective study was conducted to assess the influences of hemodynamics and right ventricular (RV) performance after lobectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and that by muscle-sparing thoracotomy (MST) using a continuous cardiac output (CCO) monitoring system. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Between October 2002 and April 2004, 16 patients (VATS, 8; MST, 8) who underwent lobectomy with mediastinal lymphadenectomy were enrolled in this study. Changes in hemodynamics and RV performance were evaluated preoperatively and for 36 hours postoperatively. RESULTS There were significant differences in operative blood loss (BL) and postoperative maxCPK/m(2) between VATS and MST groups. Postoperative values were expressed as a percentage of the preoperative values. For 36 hours perioperatively, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and total pulmonary resistance index (TPRI) decreased to greater extents in the VATS group than in the MST group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in RV performance including the continuous cardiac index (CCI), RV ejection fraction (RVEF), RV end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI) and RV stroke index (SI) postoperatively. CONCLUSION Considering our previous report about postoperative RV performance using the VATS procedure and posterolateral thoracotomy procedure, this study suggests that pulmonary resection using either VATS or MST could be employed as minimally invasive surgery.