Segmentectomy results in better preservation of pulmonary function compared with lobectomy in patients with early-stage NSCLC, according to a study published in The Journal of International Medical Research. Although segmentectomy is widely performed for early-stage lung cancer, the effects of segmentectomy versus lobectomy on pulmonary function remain unclear. To compare segmentectomy and lobectomy in terms of preservation of pulmonary function in patients with early-stage NSCLC, researchers performed a meta-analysis in which they conducted a literature search using the terms “pulmonary function,” “segmentectomy,” and “lobectomy.” The primary outcomes of interest were FEV1, FEV1 as a percent of predicted (%FEV1), change in FEV1 (Δ%FEV1), and the ratio of postoperative to preoperative FEV1. Thirteen studies comprising 2,027 patients were included for analysis, including 787 patients in the segmentectomy group and 1,240 patients in the lobectomy group. The study group found that the segmentectomy group showed significantly better preservation of FEV1 and %FEV1 compared with the lobectomy group. In addition, the reduction in FEV1 after surgery was significantly less in the segmentectomy group compared with the lobectomy group, and Δ%FEV1 was significantly higher in the segmentectomy group than in the lobectomy group.

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