{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T11:33:49Z","timestamp":1786707229371,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Introduction:<\/jats:title>\n The optimal placement of chest drains after uniportal lobectomy remains a subject of debate, despite the widespread adoption of this minimally invasive approach. This study aimed to compare post-operative pleural effusion between two different chest drain placements: through the utility incision (uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery [U-VATS]) and through a separate port (triportal VATS [T-VATS]) in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Patients and Methods:<\/jats:title>\n \n We conducted a retrospective, single-center study including 214 consecutive patients who underwent lobectomy for NSCLC (January 2019\u2013December 2024). Patients were divided into two groups: U-VATS group (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 107), with a 24-Fr drain placed through the utility incision; T-VATS group (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 107), with a 28-Fr drain inserted through the camera port. Demographic data, tumor characteristics and perioperative details were collected. The primary outcome was the residual pleural effusion evaluated on chest X-ray (CXR) before discharge, using the Blackmore scoring system. Secondary outcomes included chest tube duration, hospital stay and post-operative complications.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results:<\/jats:title>\n \n Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. The U-VATS group exhibited significantly less pleural effusion on immediate post-operative and 3\n rd<\/jats:sup>\n -day chest radiographs (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n < 0.001 for both), while no difference was observed at discharge (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.45). Chest tube duration was significantly shorter in the U-VATS group (mean 3 vs. 5 days,\n P<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.004) despite the use of smaller-diameter drains. There were no differences in complications or post-operative length of stay.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n Chest tube placement through the utility incision in U-VATS lobectomy ensures effective post-operative pleural fluid management without requiring alternative or additional drainage strategies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/jmas.jmas_76_26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T11:00:20Z","timestamp":1786705220000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effectiveness of chest tube placement via the utility incision in uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy on residual pleural effusion"],"prefix":"10.4103","author":[{"given":"Nicola","family":"Rotolo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Thoracic Surgery Unit, Research Center of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Research Center of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital ASST-Settelaghi, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elena","family":"Asteggiano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, ASST-Settelaghi University Hospital of Varese, Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Davide Di","family":"Natale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, ASST-Settelaghi University Hospital of Varese, Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Filipponi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, ASST-Settelaghi University Hospital of Varese, Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Colombo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Thoracic Surgery Unit, Research Center of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Research Center of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital ASST-Settelaghi, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisa","family":"Nardecchia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, ASST-Settelaghi University Hospital of Varese, Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20260814","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.1510\/icvts.2010.256222","article-title":"Single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy","volume":"12","author":"Gonzalez","year":"2011","journal-title":"Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg"},{"key":"R2-20260814","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"238","DOI":"10.1186\/s13019-020-01280-2","article-title":"Uniportal versus multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomical resection for NSCLC: A meta-analysis","volume":"15","author":"Yan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Cardiothorac Surg"},{"key":"R3-20260814","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.3390\/std14040034","article-title":"From triportal to uniportal video-thoracoscopic lobectomy: The single surgeon learning curve by CUSUM chart and perioperative outcomes","volume":"14","author":"Cerretani","year":"2025","journal-title":"Surg Tech Dev"},{"key":"R4-20260814","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"914","DOI":"10.1089\/lap.2018.0802","article-title":"Cumulative sum analysis of the learning curve for uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and lymphadenectomy","volume":"29","author":"Stamenovic","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A"},{"key":"R5-20260814","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1093\/ejcts\/ezz133","article-title":"Uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy: A consensus report from the 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A prospective multicenter study","volume":"13","author":"Nachira","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Clin Med"}],"container-title":["Journal of Minimal Access Surgery"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/jmas.jmas_76_26","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T11:00:22Z","timestamp":1786705222000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/jmas.jmas_76_26"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"references-count":16,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/jmas.jmas_76_26","relation":{},"ISSN":["0972-9941","1998-3921"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0972-9941","type":"print"},{"value":"1998-3921","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-02-06","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-21","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}