Post‐Operative Outcomes and Different Pain Trajectories Between Uniportal Thoracoscopic, Multiport Robot‐Assisted and Uniportal Robot‐Assisted Major Lung Resection

OBJECTIVE: Minimally invasive lung resections are the standard treatment of early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and robot-assisted surgery has gained popularity. This study aims to compare the postoperative outcomes, pain scores and opioid consumption among three approaches: uniportal thoracoscopic (uVATS), multiport robot-assisted (mRATS) and uniportal robot-assisted (uRATS). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients undergoing major lung resections for NSCLC via minimally invasive approaches by a single surgeon between 2021 2025. RESULTS: In the study period, 109 uVATS, 40 mRATS and 19 uRATS surgeries were performed with similar outcomes, except for a longer operative time for uRATS procedures (p < 0.01). Pain scores were comparable, but the percentage of patients requiring morphine and the median total intravenous morphine equivalents were lower in the single-port techniques in comparison with mRATS (p < 0.01 and p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Although post-operative pain was comparable across approaches, the uRATS technique seems associated with reduced opioid and morphine requirements.