Uniportal VATS in Clotted Hemothorax

Abstract

Objective: To report outcomes of patients undergoing VATS for clotted hemothorax.

Study Design: Cross sectional observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2022.

Methodology: A total of 64 patients with evident clotted hemothorax were included. Pre-operative demographics, operative
(interventional) variables included duration of VATS, intra-operative findings such as clotted hemothorax, blebs etc. Postoperative variables included pain scores on visual analogue pain scale and the need for opioid analgesics and complications
(like recurrence, wound infection, hemorrhage, need for admission into ICU, length of hospital stay, mortality, etc.). Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used for data analysis.

Results: Mean age of patients was 35.27 ± 12.75 years with 37 (57.8%) males and 27 (42.2%) females. Mean duration of surgery
was 95.65 ± 29.56 mins. Conversion of uniportal VATS occurred in 04 (6.25%) of patients. Admission in ICU post-operatively in
04 (6.25 %), recurrence of hemothorax in 03 (4.7%), bleeding in 01 (1.6%), wound dehiscence in 03 (4.7%), mean pain on VAS
was 4.19 ± 1.63. Mean duration of intercostal tube was 4.51 ± 2.48 days and hospital stay was 5.3 ± 2.1 days. Mortality was
observed in 04 (6.25%) patients.

Conclusion: Favorable outcome was reported in patients undergoing VATS for clotted hemothorax using a single port. Minimal adverse events/complications both intra and post-operatively were reported using uniportal VATS for patients with clotted
hemothorax.