ArticlePloS one2025
Comparative analysis of surgical outcomes: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery versus open thoracotomy in organizing thoracic empyema management.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSurgical intervention is essential for managing organizing thoracic empyema, but the efficacy of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) in this disease stage remains debated. This study aims to compare the surgical outcomes of VATS versus open thoracotomy (OT) in the management of organizing thoracic empyema. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis retrospective cohort study included 393 patients who underwent surgery for organizing thoracic empyema at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022, and were divided into VATS and OT groups. The primary outcomes were lung full expansion before discharge and at the 2-week follow-up. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and postoperative pain scores. Data analysis was performed using multivariable regression analysis and propensity score matching.
resultsIn the propensity-matched cohort (212 patients), patient characteristics were balanced between the two groups. VATS was associated with a higher likelihood of full lung expansion at discharge (risk ratio: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.45compared to OT. There were no significant differences in postoperative pain scores, or full lung expansion at 2 weeks after discharge between the two groups. However, the VATS group showed a trend toward less intraoperative blood loss (mean difference: -34.20; 95%CI: -162.89 to 94.49).
conclusionsVATS offers advantages over OT in organizing thoracic empyema surgery, particularly in terms of improved lung expansion at discharge. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to support these findings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.