Comparison of thoracotomy and videothoracoscopy for intrathoracic bronchogenic cysts

Background: Bronchogenic cyst is a generally benign and rare congenital anomaly. The mediastinum and lung parenchyma are the most common sites the cysts occur. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of thoracoscopy and thoracotomy for the treatment of bronchogenic cysts. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients were operated on in Dr. Suat Seren Thoracic Surgery Clinic between 2004 and 2019 with the diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgery method as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy. Demographic and operative features, radiological findings, and complications were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients underwent either VATS (10 patients) or thoracotomy (11 patients). Sixteen patients underwent simple cyst excision, whereas parenchymal resection was performed for five patients. The mean Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) value was 3.5 ± 1.1 for the VATS group and 6.5 ± 1 for the thoracotomy group. Duration of hospital stay and chest drainage was 4.2 ± 1.7 and 3.2 ± 1.7 days, respectively, in the VATS group, while in the thoracotomy group, it was 7.1 ± 4.5 and 6.1 ± 4.5 days. The time of hospitalization stay, duration of chest drainage, operative time, and VAS values were found statistically significantly lower in the VATS group. Conclusions: Both VATS and thoracotomy are preferred surgical methods in bronchogenic cyst surgery. VATS is superior to thoracotomy in terms of shorter hospital stay, chest drainage duration, operative time, and lower postoperative pain level. Minimally invasive methods can be chosen safely for the treatment of bronchogenic cyst in appropriate cases.