Thoracoscopic spine surgery: current indications and techniques

The first report of thoracoscopic surgery was in 1910, after Jacobaeus used thoracoscopy to lyse tuberculous lung adhesions. However, it was not until the end of the century that Lewis (1991) recognized the value of thoracoscopic surgery, and Mack (1993) reported the application of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for spine surgery. VATS is still in its infancy and the application of this technology for spine surgery continues to rapidly expand. The current indications for thoracoscopic spine surgery include tissue biopsies, thoracic paravertebral abscess drainage and debridement, thoracic disc herniation excisions, anterior spinal release and/or fusion for spinal deformity, stabilization and fusion of thoracic and thoracolumbar fractures, corpectomy for vertebral tumors, and the placement of anterior spinal instrumentation with fusion. This article reviews these current indications for VATS--the technique and subsequent nursing implications.