Discussion of the experience and improvement of an enhanced recovery after surgery procedure for minimally invasive lobectomy: a cohort study

It is of great significance to explore a path for expedited recovery from thoracic surgery for patients undergoing minimally invasive lobectomy to ensure their rapid and smooth recovery and to conserve medical resources. We analyzed 629 cases from the Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2018 to January 2020. According to the length of postoperative stay (LOS) and perioperative management, the 629 patients were divided into group A [routine management group (RMG)], group B [rapidly recovery group (RRG), LOS >72 h], and group C (RRG, LOS ≤72 h). The -test and chi-square test were used to compare the postoperative complications (PC), chest tube indwelling time (CTIT), LOS, postoperative opioid dosages (POD), and total costs (TC) of the 3 groups. Compared with the RMG, the LOS, PC, CTIT, POD, and TC of the RRG were statistically significantly ameliorated (P