Initial results from a randomized trial in video-assisted versus open thoracic surgery

In a recent study, Long et al. (1) reported the short-term perioperative outcomes of a Chinese multicenter randomized controlled trial. The trial was designed to compare clinically relevant outcomes after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or open lobectomy in the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors are to be congratulated for taking on the hard and difficult task of performing a randomized clinical trial in this field (2).