Postoperative drainage with double 8F ultrafine chest tubes improves pain control and reduces specific complications in uniportal thoracoscopic lung tumor resection: a retrospective multicenter cohort study
This multicenter retrospective cohort study evaluated ultrafine pigtail chest tubes after uniportal VATS for lung tumors in 1076 patients. After propensity score matching, two 8 Fr ultrafine chest tubes were associated with lower early postoperative pain, reduced early drainage volume, and fewer complications such as atelectasis and intrathoracic hemorrhage compared with larger-bore combinations. Drainage duration was shortest with one 24 Fr tube, while hospital stay and major complications were similar across groups. Two 8 Fr ultrafine tubes align with ERAS principles and represent a promising postoperative drainage option after U‑VATS.
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