Robotic resection of stage III lung cancer: an international retrospective study

The minimally invasive approach in thoracic surgery has proven advantages in terms of reduced postoperative pain, shorter immune response, quicker resumption of daily activities, and better aesthetic and functional result (1-3). The minimally invasive surgery despite it is recognized by the majority of thoracic surgeons still has a slow diffusion due to the technical difficulty and the long-lasting learning curve (4-7). The result of this situation is that a large part of thoracic surgeons still prefers an open traditional approach to perform a lung anatomical resection. Surgical manipulation also exerts a depressing cell-mediated immunity, which is manifested through the alteration in the cell, activation and function of lymphocytes and monocytes. The magnitude of these effects is proportional to the extent of the surgical procedure.