Efficacy of Using Maryland Forceps Versus Electrocoagulation Hooks in RATS Lung Cancer Surgery: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

Background Here we compare the difference in recent outcomes between the use of Maryland forceps (MF) and electrocoagulation hooks (EH) in robotic-assisted thoracoscopic radical lung cancer resection. Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 247 patients with lung cancer who underwent robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery from February 2018 to December 2022. On the basis of the intraoperative use of energy devices, we divided the clinical data into two groups, including 84 cases in the MF group and 163 cases in the EH group, respectively. The patients in the two groups were matched with propensity score matching analysis, and further, the perioperative clinical data of the two groups were compared. Results Compared with the EH group, patients in the MF group had shorter operative time, lesser intraoperative bleeding, shorter postoperative drainage time, and shorter postoperative hospital stay ( P < 0.05). By comparing the intraoperative and postoperative complications in the two groups, it was found that the incidence of intraoperative lymph node fragmentation, the incidence of postoperative celiac disease, and the incidence of postoperative food choking were significantly lower in the MF group than that in the EH group. The increase of CRP, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α levels in the MF group was less than that in the EH group. Conclusions The use of MF in robotic-assisted thoracoscopic radical lung cancer surgery is safe and effective, with advantages in lymph node dissection, reduced surgical trauma, and fewer postoperative complications.