According to global cancer statistics, lung cancer accounts for 11.6% of all cancer cases and it is the most common type of cancer in the world. Surgery is the primary treatment approach, especially in early stages lung cancer. Cardiopulmonary fitness of patients with lung cancer is lower than healthy individuals due to the disease itself and treatments. Pulmonary function, exercise capacity and physical activity level are affected in lung cancer depending on the resected lung tissue and the type of surgery. VATS and thoracotomy surgeries, which are the most preferred techniques in lung cancer, have advantages and disadvantages over each other. There are few studies compared the early effects of two surgeries on the pulmonary function, exercise capacity, physical activity, quality of life and fatigue. And also, no study compared the effects of two surgeries on respiratory muscle endurance and peripheral muscle strength, previously.~According to sample size calculation, at least 15 patients with pulmonary lesion both VATS and thoracotomy groups would be included in the study. The demographic, physical and physiological characteristics were recorded from the patient files. Pulmonary function, functional exercise capacity, physical activity level, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, inspiratory muscle endurance, quality of life, fatigue, dyspnea perception and pain were evaluated pre and two weeks after postoperative term. Primary outcomes were pulmonary function, functional exercise capacity and physical activity level. Secondary outcomes were respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, inspiratory muscle endurance, quality of life, fatigue, dyspnea perception and pain.
The investigators aimed to compare the pre-post operative effects of video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) and thoracotomy on pulmonary function, exercise capacity, physical activity level, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, inspiratory muscle endurance, quality of life, fatigue, dyspnea perception and pain in patients with pulmonary nodules.