Clinical guide to perioperative management for videothoracoscopy lung resection (Section of Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Anesthesia, SEDAR; Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery, SECT; Spanish Society of Physiotherapy)

The introduction of video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) techniques has led to a new approach in thoracic surgery. VATS is performed by inserting a thoracoscope through a small incisions in the chest wall, thus maximizing the preservation of muscle and tissue. Because of its low rate of morbidity and mortality, VATS is currently the technique of choice in most thoracic procedures. Lung resection by VATS reduces prolonged air leaks, arrhythmia, pneumonia, postoperative pain and inflammatory markers. This reduction in postoperative complications shortens hospital length of stay, and is particularly beneficial in high-risk patients with low tolerance to thoracotomy. Compared with conventional thoracotomy, the oncological results of VATS surgery are similar or even superior to those of open surgery. This aim of this multidisciplinary position statement produced by the thoracic surgery working group of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation (SEDAR), the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT), and the Spanish Association of Physiotherapy (AEF) is to standardize and disseminate a series of perioperative anaesthesia management guidelines for patients undergoing VATS lung resection surgery. Each recommendation is based on an in-depth review of the available literature by the authors. In this document, the care of patients undergoing VATS surgery is organized in sections, starting with the surgical approach, and followed by the three pillars of anaesthesia management: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anaesthesia. La introducción de técnicas toracoscópicas asistidas por video en cirugía torácica (VATS) ha permitido realizar un nuevo enfoque en la cirugía torácica. El acceso videotoracoscópico se realiza con pequeñas incisiones, preservando al máximo los músculos y los tejidos. En la actualidad, la VATS se considera de elección en la mayoría de los procedimientos torácicos, principalmente debido a la menor morbimortalidad asociada. La resección pulmonar por VATS presenta reducción de las fugas de aire prolongadas, arritmias, neumonía, dolor postoperatorio y una disminución de los marcadores inflamatorios. Esta reducción de las complicaciones postoperatorias está vinculada a una reducción de la estancia hospitalaria, siendo los pacientes de alto riesgo y con poca tolerancia a la toracotomía los principales beneficiarios de esta técnica. En comparación con la toracotomía convencional, los?resultados?oncológicos de la cirugía VATS son sim