Non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy for interstitial lung disease: a single-center experience

The mortality and morbidity associated with video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lung biopsy for interstitial lung disease (ILD) are not negligible. We evaluated whether non-intubated VATS lung biopsy, which avoids intubation and general anesthesia, can be safely performed in ILD subjects.

This retrospective study compared the incidence of complications and surgical mortality between 25 consecutive intubated subjects and 10 non-intubated subjects (a total of 35 consecutive subjects) at a single institution.

No major surgical complications or deaths were reported in either group, and non-intubated VATS biopsies were safely performed in subjects with relatively low carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (P=0.08) or poor American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status scores (ASA) (P=0.02).

These preliminary results suggest that non-intubated VATS lung biopsy is a safe and feasible option in patients with ILD.