Efficacy of minimally invasive surgery in diagnosis of interstitial lung disease

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracic surgery in reaching a specific diagnosis in patients with interstitial lung disease. Methods Thirty-eight patients with interstitial lung disease (19 males, 19 females; mean age 47.73 years) who had undergone video-assisted thoracic surgery at Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, between 2010 and 2013 were evaluated retrospectively in this study. Preoperative evaluations including cardiac and pulmonary assessments were performed. Data were recorded in forms prepared for this study and included age, sex, symptoms, imaging findings, operation duration, chest drain withdrawal time, postoperative hospital stay, hospital mortality, and specific diagnosis of the disease. Results The most common symptom was dyspnea (38 patients, 100%). The most common computed tomography finding was a reticular pattern (30 patients, 78.94%). Surgery complications included persistent air leak in 3 (7.9%) cases and wound infection in 2 (5.26%). There was no hospital death and no need for reoperation. The average of operative time was 50 min. The mean time for chest drain withdrawal and postoperative hospitalization was 4 and 5 days, respectively. The most common diagnoses were usual interstitial pneumonia in 9 (23.68%) patients and sarcoidosis in 6 (15.78%). A specific diagnosis was not reached in 2/38 (5.26%) patients after video-assisted thoracic surgery. Conclusion Video-assisted thoracic surgery is a highly effective and safe method for establishing a specific diagnosis in patients with interstitial lung disease.