Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for penetrating chest wound: thoracoscopic exploration and removal of a penetrating foreign body.

M any thoracic surgeons have been reluctant to employ video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in patients with penetrating chest trauma owing to the possibility of great vessel injuries. However, with a meticulous preoperative workup, VATS could be successfully performed in select patients. We report the case of a patient with penetrating chest trauma in whom removal of the impaled knife and hemostasis were performed thoracoscopically.