A Preferred Approach in Diagnosis and Treatment: VATS

Objective: VATS (video-assisted thoracic surgery) is commonly used for variable indications in thoracic surgery procedures such as pleural biopsy and lung resections. The use of VATS in our clinic for various diseases was reviewed. Methods: The files of 45 patients that underwent VATS were assessed retrospectively between May 2009 and March 2011. Cases consisted of 21 males and 24 females; the age range was 15 to 72 years and the mean age was 53.5 years. Results: Fifty-one operations were performed on the 45 cases. A total of six cases, including five cases of hyperhidrosis and one case of pleural effusion, underwent simultaneous bilateral operations. VATS was performed for pleural effusion and/or pleural thickening in 23 cases, for a lung nodule or lung mass in 13, for pneumothorax and prolonged air leak in four, and for hyperhidrosis-sympathetic hyperactivity in five cases. The pathological analyses of 16 patients with pleural effusion indicated malignant disease while seven patients had benign findings. Nine of the patients with pulmonary nodules were reported as benign while four were reported as malignant by pathology. In one patient who underwent wedge resection for pneumothorax, prolonged air leakage occurred and the patient underwent reoperation. Death occurred in one patient. Conclusion: VATS is used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the practice of thoracic surgery. It is the preferred method for selected patients. (Gazi Med J 2012; 23: 10-2)