Benign posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors: results of a comparative study into video-assisted thoracic surgery and thoracotomy (13 years' experience).

OBJECTIVE: Mediastinal neurogenic tumors originate from the nerve tissues of the thorax and are generally located in the posterior mediastinum. The present study was performed to compare the results of thoracotomy with those of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for the surgical treatment of posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors.

METHODS: Twenty patients who underwent surgical resection for posterior neurogenic tumors between January 1996 and January 2009 were examined retrospectively. Thirteen (65%) patients were treated by thoracotomy (group T) and VATS was used in seven (35%) patients (group V).

RESULTS: The duration of surgery was shorter in group V (83.5 ± 19 min) than in group T (124.6 ± 16.6 min; P < 0.0001). Chest drains were withdrawn earlier in group V (after 1 day) than in group T (1.6 ± 0.5 days; P = 0.005). The hospital stay was shorter for group V (1 day) compared with group T (3 ± 0.9 days; P < 0.0001) and group V required fewer analgesics than group T (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: VATS is the preferred treatment for posterior neurogenic tumors that show no preoperative signs of malignancy and do not involve the medulla spinalis.