Comparison of postoperative pain with thin or thick drainage tubes after lung lobe or lung segment removal

Summary description of the study

At the end of a lung surgery where a lung lobe or lung segment has been removed, a tube is inserted into the chest (also known as chest drainage). The tube drains wound fluid and air from the chest. The placement of a large-bore tube (24 F) after lung segment removal is currently considered standard procedure. The tube can cause pain and interfere with the patient's breathing exercises. Therefore, according to current understanding, the tube is removed as soon as it is no longer necessary. The tube is usually removed starting from the first postoperative day. In this study, we want to find out whether patients with a small-bore (16 F) tube in the chest experience less postoperative pain. Additionally, we want to investigate pain relief after early removal of the tube. The postoperative complications in patients with early removal of the tube from the chest will be compared with those in whom the tube was removed starting from the first day after surgery.

(BASEC)

Intervention under investigation

The study intervention being investigated is the placement of a chest drain with a thin tube following lung surgery. Depending on randomization, either a small-bore (16 F) or a large-bore (24 F) tube will be inserted.

Postoperatively, the intensity of chest pain in the surgical area will be measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), which is provided to the patient on a sheet of paper. The visual analog scale is a widely recognized scale.

Chest pain intensity will be measured and documented at rest and during coughing. The patient marks their responses with a vertical line on the horizontal marking line of the sheet. The evaluation is done by measuring the distance from the starting anchor point (0) to the marking; the recorded values are documented in millimeters (0-100). Assessment will take place 2, 4, 6 hours after the end of the operation and then daily between 7–8 AM and 5–6 PM until the third day or until the tube is removed.

(BASEC)

Disease under investigation

Resectable non-small cell lung carcinoma. Lung metastases. Lung changes with suspicion of a malignant disease.

(BASEC)

Sponsor

University Hospital Basel

(BASEC)