Thoracoscopic rib resection and reconstruction of chest wall: Our clinical experience

Chest wall resection is traditionally performed via open thoracotomy, a procedure that increases surgical morbidity and reduces postoperative quality of life. Conversely, thoracoscopic chest wall resection may minimize invasiveness but the optimal procedure remains uncertain. We previously reported rib resection using a pneumatic high-speed power drill during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for selected lung cancer patients. In this report, we present two cases of chest wall tumor resected using the drill via the thoracoscopic approach. We also report thoracoscopic chest wall reconstruction in one patient using a patch sheet.