STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization to treat patients with exacerbation of chronic empyema thoracis. DESIGN Case reports and literature review. SETTING Academic department of surgery. PATIENTS Two elderly, debilitated patients with worsening, chronic empyema thoracis as diagnosed by radiographs, CT, and thoracentesis. Both patients had...

objectives after the introduction of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (vats) thymectomy, there has been increased interest in the use of this technique for myasthenia gravis. we conducted a retrospective study to assess the safety and efficacy of vats thymectomy in treatment of myasthenia gravis. patients and methods the medical records of 50 patients who underwent vats thymectomy for the t...

BACKGROUND Video assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsies were compared with historical controls undergoing open lung biopsy to determine the diagnostic accuracy, effect on length of postoperative stay, and cost effectiveness of the new thoracoscopic technique. METHODS The first 25 video assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsies performed in the Edinburgh Thoracic Unit were compared with 25 historical...

Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has recently been developed as an alternative to thoracotomy for anterior spinal surgery. We report a case in which an extrapleural dissection was combined with VATS to further improve this approach.

Background: Whether challenging video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimal invasive remains controversial. This study aimed to analyze causes of conventional multiple-port VATS (CVATS) and conversion thoracotomy postoperative pain provide indications for VATS.

Thoraic splenosis is a rare entity after splenic and diaphragmatic injury. We report on a patient who had left pulmonary masses on a routine chest roentgenogram. It was impossible to rule out the possibility of other tumors or malignancies from past history, radiographic findings and needle biopsy. The patient underwent a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The resected tumor was diagnosed as...