Why in Hospital After Wedge Resection

In the realm of lung surgery, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) offers distinct advantages, including shorter hospital stays, reduced pain, improved quality of life, and increased postoperative mobility when compared to thoracotomy. Additionally, the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in lung surgery, characterized by a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach, have streamlined postoperative recovery, resulting in early discharge and diminished postoperative complications. However, drawing from our extensive experience with fully implemented ERAS VATS for patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy, we observed that approximately 45% of patients did not experience early discharge.

Based on existing evidence, the length of stay (LOS) following wedge resection typically ranges from 3 to 6 days across various regions, including Europe, the United States, and China. However, there is a notable lack of procedure-specific data for ERAS VATS wedge resection to explore reasons of delaying discharge. This prompts us to undertake an investigation into individuals following pulmonary wedge resection under the same ERAS programs.