Simple continuous suture to strengthen the closure of intra-muscle used in the removal of uni-portal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery thoracic drainage tube.

Background: Uni-portal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has become a popular type of thoracic surgery. However, improvements to the closure of the single drainage tube hole are still in need. Methods: From February 2019 to May 2019, we included 50 patients who received uni-portal VATS for lung disease or mediastinal disease and simple continuous suture to strengthen the closure of intra-muscle combined with removal-free stitches on the skin. Follow-up items included incision length, chest tube drainage amount, chest tube drainage time, incision effusion leakage, postoperative subcutaneous emphysema, postoperative pain score. Results: A total of 50 patients were included in this study, including 23 males and 27 females, with an average age of 60.08 +/- 9.73 years old. The mean drainage on the first day after operation was 236.56 +/- 141.50 mL, while the mean pain score on the first day after operation was 4.16 +/- 1.70. Among 50 patients, only two cases of subcutaneous emphysema occurred. Conclusions: Applying innovative simple continuous suture to strengthen the closure of intra-muscle combined with removal-free stitches on the skin into the closure of uni-portal VATS is safe and feasible.