Video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer in hemodialysis patients

Introduction: In recent years, the number of hemodialysis patients has been continuously increasing. At the same time, the use of video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer has also increased. However, reports of the outcome of VATS in hemodialysis patients are still quite rare. Methods: From 1995 to 2011, 14 patients with non‐small cell lung cancer who were also receiving hemodialysis underwent lung resection by open thoracotomy or VATS at our institution. These patients were divided into two groups as follows: open (five men and four women, mean age: 68.7 years) and (2) VATS (three men and two women, mean age: 64.0 years). We compared the clinical outcomes of these two groups. Results: Lobectomy was performed in eight patients in the open group, including one patient who also underwent a pneumonectomy, and in four patients in the VATS group, including one who also underwent a wedge resection. There were no significant difference between the groups' operation times, intraoperative blood loss, length of postoperative chest drainage, and length of postoperative hospitalization. There were no hospital deaths in either group. The 5‐year survival rate was 42.9% in the open group and 37.5% in the VATS group. This difference was not significant (P=0.73). Conclusion: VATS lung resection for lung cancer patients on hemodialysis is considered an acceptable treatment modality, though the long‐term survival rate of such patients is relatively low, which can be attributed to the diseases underlying the need for hemodialysis.