An interventional study of Uniportal VATS and Multi-portal VATS in Empyema, Pleural and Thoracic Empyema, sponsored by University of Health Sciences Lahore. Completed at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 73 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-22.
Sponsored by University of Health Sciences Lahore · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
It was a parallel-armed randomized control study in which 160 participants admitted to the Thoracic Surgery Department, Services Hospital, Lahore were included. The participants were divided into two equal groups (80 in each group). Uniportal Group participants underwent uniportal video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), while multiportal Group participants were treated with multiportal video assisted thoracic surgery(VATS). Simple consecutive sampling was carried out. Expansion of lung was evaluated postoperatively at the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 15th postoperative day by chest radiograph after uniportal and multiportal VATS.
Empyema is a problem that thoracic surgeons deal in everyday practice. The main goal of treatment is evacuating the pus and fibrin deposits in the thoracic cavity for complete lung expansion. Traditionally, the surgical approach was open thoracotomy; then the multiportal video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approach became more common. Recently, more surgeons are adopting the uniportal VATS approach, which has become a powerful surgical tool, for the treatment of stage II empyema.
Uniportal and multiportal VATS are a feasible technique in all patients with pleural empyema requiring surgery. In this study, the investigators observed comparable postoperative success rates, no need for conversion, and successful completion of decortication via both multiportal and uniportal approaches. This transition to a single-incision technique was associated with fewer chest tubes, minimal surgical trauma, and no compromise in clinical outcomes.
33 studies on the registry are indexed under Empyema, Pleural; 11 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 160 is above the median of 77 across 26 interventional studies indexed under Empyema, Pleural.
Browse Empyema, Pleural studies →University of Health Sciences Lahore is the lead sponsor of 83 studies on the registry; 52 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Uniportal Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery group
Procedure: Uniportal VATS
Multi-portal Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery group
Procedure: Multi-portal VATS
Decortication of pleural empyema is done using single-port VATS
Decortication of pleural empyema is done using two or more ports with VATS
complete lung expansion after decortication
Complete expansion of lung after Uniportal or Multiportal VATS was defined as, no residual pneumothorax or fluid collection on the chest radiograph, post - operatively. Lung expansion after surgery will be measured in percentages by calculating percentage of residual pneumothorax or fluid collection and was assessed using chest X-ray. Chest x-rays were performed on post-operative day 1, 3, 7 and 15. Physiologically normal and completely expanded lung is the set parameter for checking and comparing the expansion of operated lung after decortication.
Time frame: 15 days
post-operative thoracotomy site pain
Recording of post-operative thoracotomy pain at the site of uniportal or multiportal VATS was also assessed on post-operative day 1, 3 and 7. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is a simple, widely used tool for measuring pain intensity. It consists of a straight line, usually 10 cm in length, with two endpoints: "0" = no pain "10" (or 100) = worst imaginable pain The patient marks a point on the line that best represents their perceived pain level. The score is then measured in millimeters or centimeters from the "no pain" end, giving a numerical value for pain intensity.
Time frame: 07 days
Ran from Apr 2023 to primary completion in Mar 2025, 23 months.
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This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Health Sciences Lahore