Single-Incision Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for an Extralobar Sequestration in a Child.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Pediatric Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is established in adults for various intrathoracic conditions.
• Published literature lacks reports on uniportal VATS in pediatric patients.
• Previous VATS for pediatric extralobar sequestration utilized a three-port approach due to perceived technical challenges.

Observation:

• This report details the first case of single-incision VATS in a child for extralobar sequestration resection.
• The procedure was performed successfully in a pediatric patient.
• The narrow thoracic cavity in infants and children has historically limited minimally invasive techniques.

Findings:

• Successful resection of extralobar sequestration via a single-incision VATS approach in a pediatric patient.
• Demonstrates the feasibility of single-port access in pediatric thoracic surgery.
• Challenges associated with pediatric thoracic cavity size were overcome.

Implications:

• Single-incision VATS may be a viable and potentially advantageous alternative to multi-port VATS in pediatric thoracic surgery.
• This case broadens the application of minimally invasive techniques in pediatric surgical care.
• Further research into single-incision VATS for pediatric thoracic pathologies is warranted.