Single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy using a flexible videoscope

Single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has recently been proposed as an innovative minimally invasive alternative to the standard three-port VATS for lobectomies, most of which are performed using a conventional rigid thoracoscope. Here, we report a single-port VATS approach for right upper lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection using a flexible endoscope. A 61-year-old male smoker presented with a pulmonary nodule. A single-port VATS procedure was performed through a 4-cm intercostal incision using a flexible laparo-thoraco videoscope. Right upper lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection were performed. The total operating time was 106 in. The procedure was successful and the recovery uneventful. The patient's chest tube was removed on the third day, and he was discharged home on the fourth. The use of a flexible videoscope facilitated the single-port VATS procedure by avoiding interference between the videoscope and other operating instruments and providing ample space for the surgeon.