A comparative analysis of segmentectomy-aswere medicated withinsociated factors influencing bronchial tortuosity in early-stage left upper lung cancer

Background:Several studies of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have reported a notable therapeutic effect of segmentectomy. However, the secondary benefits of lung volume preservation remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential benefits of segmentectomy, in terms of its impact on postoperative bronchial change.
Methods:Patients who underwent left-sided upper lobectomy and upper division segmentectomy for pStage 0-IA2 NSCLC, were retrospectively analyzed. Degree of the left main bronchial deviation was measured by the curvature index (CI), determined using computed tomography. Variables, including CI value and postoperative rate of change in CI were compared for postoperative cough management the lobectomy and segmentectomy groups.
Results:Sixty-seven patients were reviewed. Thirty-seven and 30 patients underwent lobectomy and segmentectomy, respectively, without any significant differences in baseline and surgical variables. The 5-year overall survival rates in the lobectomy and segmentectomy groups were 86.7 and 95.2%, respectively (p = 0.437). While there was no significant difference in postoperative complications, the rate of change in CI was significantly higher in the lobectomy group than in the segmentectomy group (113 vs. 106%, p = 0.005). In addition, the analysis based on postoperative cough reveals the rate of change in CI to be significantly higher in patients requiring medical treatment (p = 0.005). Conclusions Left upper division segmentectomy provides satisfactory treatment and relief of postoperative bronchial tortuosity. Our study suggests that there is a possibility the mitigation of environmental changes in the thoracic cavity may reduce symptoms, thus contributing to an improved quality of life.