Effect of VATS on thoracic lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer and its effect on postoperative quality of life

Abstract

Objective To observe the effect of VATS on thoracic lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer and its effect on postoperative quality of life. Methods 75 patients with esophageal cancer treated in our hospital from March 2014 to May 2016 were selected into data. According to the operation mode, 38 cases were divided into video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS group) and 37 cases underwent traditional thoracotomy (traditional group). The data was analyzed by SPSS18.0.Intraoperative and postoperative indicators and quality of life were assessed by independent t test. The postoperative complications and the one-year survival rate were examined by χ2 test. The results were statistically significant with the difference of P<0.05. Results The VATS group was superior to the traditional group (P 0.05) between the VATS group and the traditional group (73.68% vs. 67.57%). The scores of dysphagia in the two groups were significantly lower in the quality of life scores at the first week and the 12th week after surgery. The VATS group scored significantly better than the traditional group in terms of fatigue, physical function, postoperative pain, and comprehensive quality of life. P<0.05). Conclusion The treatment of thoracic lymph node dissection of esophageal cancer with VAST assisted surgery has good therapeutic effect, rapid recovery and less postoperative complications. It can significantly improve the quality of postoperative survival of the patients. It is worth popularizing in clinical practice. Key words: Esophageal neoplasms; Lymph node excision; Thoracoscopes; Quality of life