{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T15:45:16Z","timestamp":1790610316664,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,27]],"date-time":"2023-09-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1695772800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Post-operative quality of life (QOL) has become crucial in choosing operative approaches in thoracic surgery. However, compared to VATS and thoracotomy, QOL results post-RATS are limited. We compared QOL before and after RATS and between RATS, VATS, and thoracotomy. We conducted a retrospective review of lung cancer surgical patients from 2015 to 2020. Patients completed validated EORTC QOL questionnaires (QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13). Results were analysed using the EORTC Scoring Guide, with statistical analysis. A total of 47 (94%) pre- and post-RATS questionnaires were returned. Forty-two patients underwent anatomical lung resections. In addition, 80% of patients experienced uncomplicated recovery. All global and functional QOL domains improved post-operatively, as did most symptoms (13\/19). Only four symptoms worsened, including dyspnoea (p = 0.017), with two symptoms unchanged. Of the 148 returned questionnaires for all approaches (open-22\/VATS-79\/RATS-47), over 70% showed a high pre-operative performance status. Most patients underwent anatomical lung resection, with only VATS patients requiring conversion (n = 6). Complications were slightly higher in RATS, with one patient requiring re-intubation. RATS patients demonstrated the highest global and functional QOL. Physical QOL was lowest after thoracotomy (p = 0.002). RATS patients reported the fewest symptoms, including dyspnoea (p = 0.046), fatigue (p &lt; 0.001), and pain (p = 0.264). Overall, RATS results in a significantly better post-operative QOL and should be considered the preferred surgical approach for lung cancer patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12196230","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,28]],"date-time":"2023-09-28T01:51:14Z","timestamp":1695865874000},"page":"6230","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Comparison of Quality of Life after Robotic, Video-Assisted, and Open Surgery for Lung Cancer"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6652-6596","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicole","family":"Asemota","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Maraschi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2827-5826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Savvas","family":"Lampridis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John","family":"Pilling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juliet","family":"King","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Corinne","family":"Le Reun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Bille","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"},{"name":"Division of Cancer Studies, King\u2019s College London, Guy\u2019s Hospital London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6163","DOI":"10.21037\/jtd-2019-rts-07","article-title":"Outcomes of robotic esophagectomy","volume":"13","author":"Young","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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