Thoracoscopic Surgery
It is also known as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to examine and treat conditions within the chest cavity.
It involves inserting a thin, flexible tube with a camera and surgical instruments through small incisions in the chest wall.
Benefits of thoracoscopy include:
Less Invasive: Compared to traditional open surgery, thoracoscopy requires smaller incisions, resulting in less trauma to surrounding tissues, reduced pain, and faster recovery times.
- Improved Visualization: The camera provides high-definition images of the chest cavity, allowing surgeons to see and access areas that may be difficult to reach with open surgery.
- Shorter Hospital Stay: Patients typically spend less time in the hospital after thoracoscopy compared to open surgery, leading to quicker recovery and reduced healthcare costs.
Thoracoscopy plays several roles in diagnosis:
Biopsy: Tissue samples can be obtained from the lung, pleura, or other chest structures to diagnose conditions such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, or infections.
- Diagnostic Exploration: Thoracoscopy allows direct visualization of the chest cavity to assess the extent of disease, such as pleural effusions or lung nodules.
- Diagnostic Exploration: Thoracoscopy allows direct visualization of the chest cavity to assess the extent of disease, such as pleural effusions or lung nodules.
In terms of treatment, thoracoscopy is used for various conditions:
Lung Cancer: Thoracoscopy enables the removal of small lung tumors (wedge resection), lobectomy, or even pneumonectomy in selected cases.
- Pleural Diseases: It is used to drain pleural effusions, perform pleurodesis to prevent recurrence, or biopsy pleural abnormalities.
- Mediastinal Disorders: Thoracoscopy can access and biopsy lymph nodes or masses in the mediastinum, aiding in the diagnosis and staging of diseases like lymphoma or thymoma.
Esophageal Surgery: In some cases of esophageal cancer or achalasia, thoracoscopy may be used to access and manipulate the esophagus from the chest cavity.
- Sympathectomy: Thoracoscopy is utilized in treating hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) by selectively cutting sympathetic nerves in the chest.