The Current Status of Thoracoscopic Surgery

Video-assisted thoracic surgery is increasingly being applied to treat a variety of intrathoracic disease processes. Numerous pleural, pulmonary, esophageal, autonomic nervous system, spinal, and even cardiac procedures are now being performed using this minimally invasive approach. An overview of these thoracoscopic interventions is the focus of this review. It must be realized that although the technical feasibility of these operations has been demonstrated, their role in the practice of general thoracic surgery remains to be defined by critical scientific comparisons with established standards.