Video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) is emerging as a potentially less invasive means on managing a wide variety of thoracic disorders.
VATS was performed in 46 cases, in the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery of Chonbuk National University Hospital from August 1992 to July 1995. There were 20 men and 26 women, whose age ranged from 14 to 56 years. They were
diagnosed
hyperhidrosis in 21 cases, mediastinal tumor in 12 cases, pneumothorax in 10 cases, and one case each of leiomyoma of the esophagus, Raynaud's syndrome, Burger's disease.
Operation time averaged 89.7 minutes, and no patient was converted to a thoracotomy. The number of trocha used, period of chest tube drainage, and postoperative hospitalization were 3, 1.8 days, and 4.3 days, respectively. The postoperative
complication
ocurred in 5 cases (remnant pneumothorax 1 case, phrenic nerve paralysis l case, persistant air leakage 2 cases, compensatory hyperhidrosis l case). One patient with persistant air leak was managed by thoracotomy on postoperative 3 days, and the
other
patient by chemical pleurodesis. One patient diagnosed pathologically as thymic carcinoma, was managed by radiation therapy. There was no postoperative death.
VATS has the benefits of reduced postoperative pain and postoperative hospitalization, and good cosmetic effect.
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