Video-assisted thoracic surgery - New directions

Surgical techniques involving the endoscopic evaluation and treatment of di seases of the chest have progressed from their origins in the early 1900s t o the modern era of video-assisted, minimally invasive thoracic surgery. As the surgical techniques and instrumentation evolve, the role of video assi sted surgery in a modern general thoracic surgical practice continues to be debated and to change accordingly. This review describes the current role of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in the management of diseases of the lung (bronchogenic carcinoma, emphysema, and interstitial. disease), pl eura (pleural effusions and empyema), and mediastinum (humors and cysts, au tonomic dysfunction, and pericardial disease).