The Impacts of Intermittent Chest Tube Clamping on Chest Tube Drainage Duration and Postoperative Hospital Stay After Lung Cancer Surgery

All patients undergo lateral thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and are operated on by the same thoracic surgical team. All patients are managed with gravity drainage (water seal only, without suction) on the day of operation. Eligible patients are randomized to control group or clamping group at a 1:1 ratio before 3pm on the postoperative day. Patients in control group and those in clamping group are managed with different protocols after 3pm on the postoperative day.