Objective: Omitting pleural drainage after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for pulmonary wedge resections has been shown to be a safe approach to enhance recovery. However, major concerns remain regarding the risk of postoperative pneumothoraces requiring surgical interventions. Therefore, our objective was to provide conclusive evidence whether chest tube omission after VATS wedge resection is safe and does not increase the risk of pneumothoraces requiring pleural drainage.
Methods: Five scientific databases were searched. Studies comparing patients with (CT group) and without chest tube drainage (NCT group) after VATS wedge resection were evaluated. Outcomes included radiographically diagnosed pneumothoraces and pneumothoraces requiring pleural drainage, postoperative complications, hospitalization, and pain scores.
Results: Overall, 9 studies (3 randomized controlled trials) were included (N = 928). Meta-analysis showed significantly more radiographically diagnosed pneumothoraces in the NCT group (risk ratio [RR] = 2.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.56 to 4.29, P < 0.001; I2 = 0%). However, no significant differences were found in postoperative pneumothoraces requiring pleural drainage (RR = 1.72, 95% CI: 0.63 to 4.74, P = 0.29; I2 = 0%) or complications (RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.52, P = 0.46; I2 = 0%). Furthermore, the NCT group showed significantly shorter hospitalization (mean difference = -1.26, 95% CI: -1.56 to -0.95, P < 0.001) with high heterogeneity (I2 = 58%, P = 0.02), and lower pain scores on postoperative day 1 (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.98, 95% CI: -1.71 to -0.25, P = 0.009; I2 = 92%) and postoperative day 2 (SMD = -1.28, 95% CI: -2.55 to -0.01, P = 0.05; I2 = 96%) compared with the CT group.
Conclusions: VATS wedge resection without routine chest tube placement is suggested as a safe and less invasive approach in selected patients that does not increase the risk of a pneumothorax requiring pleural drainage.
Keywords: chest tube; meta-analysis; systematic review; video-assisted thoracic surgery; wedge resection.