Effects of da Vinci robot versus thoracoscopic surgery on body trauma and lymphocyte subsets in lung cancer patients: A propensity score matching study

Abstract

Abstract Background To assess the impact of da Vinci robot versus thoracoscopic surgery on body trauma and lymphocyte subsets in lung cancer patients. Methods Retrospective analysis of 352 patients with lung cancer treated by minimally invasive surgery completed by the same operator in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Gansu Provincial People's Hospital from October 2019 to October 2022. According to the surgical procedure, the patients were divided into a robotic‐assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) group ( n = 159) and a video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery group (VATS) ( n = 193), respectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed in both groups, and perioperative indicators were recorded. Levels of inflammatory markers (C‐reactive protein, CRP; interleukin‐6, IL‐6) and lymphocyte subsets (CD3 + , CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD4 + /CD8 + ) were measured 1 day before surgery and 1, 3, and 5 days after surgery, respectively. To compare the effects of the two surgical procedures on the trauma and lymphocyte subsets of the patient's organism. Results One hundred and thirty‐eight patients in each group after PSM. Compared with the VATS group, the RATS group had shorter operative time ( p < 0.001), less intraoperative bleeding ( p < 0.001), less postoperative chest drainage ( p = 0.029), shorter postoperative chest drainage time ( p = 0.008), and shorter postoperative hospital stay ( p = 0.005). The levels of CRP and IL‐6 increased in both groups after surgery compared with those before surgery, and the increase was less in the RATS group than that in the VATS group. Postoperative T‐lymphocyte levels were lower in both groups compared with preoperative levels, and T‐lymphocyte levels were significantly lower in the VATS group compared with the RATS group. Conclusion Compared with VATS for treating lung cancer, RATS has advantages in short‐term efficacy, and smaller surgical trauma to patients, which can reduce the body's inflammatory response. It also has less impact on T lymphocyte subpopulations, which can better protect patients’ immune function.