Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the diagnosis of lung disease. Thecretan experience.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been recently u tilised in the diagnosis and management of thoracic diseases. In this repor t we reviewed our VATS experience for biopsy of diffuse or localised lung d iseases in 51 cases focusing on indications, operative procedures, complica tions or failures rates. Patients and Methods: Over the last 5 years we performed 51 VATS procedures for diagnostic purposes in 32 men and 19 women. The specific indications f or VATS were lung biopsy for undiagnosed diffuse or localised lung disease. In all patients the postoperative pain was controlled with the use of non- narcotic analgesics and was measured according the visual analogue scale (V AS). Results: There was no operative mortality. Postoperative non-fatal complica tions were seen in 3 cases (6 %). The overall median duration of chest tube drainage was 2 days and the mean postoperative stay 3 days. In the diffuse lung disease a tissue diagnosis was obtained in all the cases. Conversion to thoracotomy was needed in 1 case (2 %), owing to extensive adhesions. Al l patients expressed a postoperative pain control effect of less than 50 % of VAS. Conclusions: VATS should be considered as a safe and effective procedure, w ith low postoperative pain and morbidity. Should be recommended in patients who require a histological diagnosis of diffuse or localised lung diseases .