VIDEO-ASSISTED THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY (VATS) IN ASIA - ITS IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

Background: Within a short period of time, Video assisted thoracoscopi c surgery (VATS) has revolutionised the practice of thoracic surgery M ost of the existing literature, however, is concentrated on the techni cal aspects. Aims: We examined the impact of VATS on our practice and its implications. Methods: We reviewed our thoracic case load two year s before and two years after the introduction of VATS in our hospital. Results: We have witnessed a rapid and progressive increase in our th oracic case load since the introduction of VATS. With increased experi ence, proportionally more cases were performed using VATS compared to conventional surgical access. The increased. case load covered a wide range of thoracic diseases with the majority for spontaneous pneumotho rax and pleural diseases. Conclusion: The higher case load is due to i ncreased referrals which at least partly reflect earlier acceptance by both the patients and their physicians for surgical intervention, The changing indications for surgery and the high cost associated with VA TS, however, could place extra demand on the healthcare, especially fo r some countries in; Asia, Cost containment is therefore a high priori ty here. More research is greatly needed in this area.