The indications for and results of video thoracoscopic surgery. Reflections on 152 procedures

Since thoracoscopy was first described in 1910, its application has been confined mainly to diagnosis and symptomatic treatment of pleural diseases. Recent technological advances in endoscopy and the refinement of surgical technique have brought wider applications, giving rise to video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT). VAT surgery allows us to view, access and act upon internal thoracic organs without recourse to thoracotomy, thus circumventing inherent risk. We have reviewed our experience from April 1994 through November 1998 in 152 procedures with 141 consecutive patients. Diagnoses were pneumothorax in 94 cases, sympathetic nervous system alteration in 10, diffuse lung disease in 10, lung tumors in 9, pulmonary metastasis in 4, pleural tumors in 5, mediastinal tumors in 2, pericardial effusion in 2, spinal disease in 2 and chronic pancreatitis in 1. No deaths associated with the procedure occurred. The incidence of non-fatal postoperative complication was 11%. The most common complications were prolonged air leak (5%) and bloody pleural effusion (3.5%). The mean length of postoperative hospital care was 3.8 days (range 1 to 18 days). Our experience indicates that VAT is increasingly used to diagnose and treat a variety of chest lesions. Complications are fewer than in procedures in which thoracotomy is needed. Prolonged air leakage does not occur significantly more often with VAT than with thoracotomy. VAT is apparently safe and is particularly useful in some situations, as postoperative morbidity is low and clinical tolerance good.