Comparison Between Robot- and Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgeries for Anterior Mediastinal Lesions

This multicenter retrospective study compared video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) for anterior mediastinal lesions in 1,076 patients across three Chinese centers. Utilizing propensity score matching, researchers found that with the lateral thoracic approach, RATS demonstrated shorter catheter retention, reduced postoperative stays, and lower complication rates. However, with the subxiphoid approach, RATS resulted in higher drainage volume and longer catheter retention. The study concludes that the choice of surgical approach significantly impacts outcomes, with RATS being more beneficial for lateral thoracic cases.