Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Pneumonectomy

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for lobectomy or segmentectomy is considered a favorable alternative to thoracotomy because of its usefulness and safety; it reduces postoperative pain, lowers morbidity, and shortens the hospital stay. However, despite these advantages of VATS, it has been difficult to perform VATS pneumonectomy due to the high morbidity and mortality rate of pneumonectomy. Recently, as VATS techniques have been developed and the usefulness of VATS pneumonectomy has continued to be reported, the frequency of VATS pneumonectomy is gradually increasing at large-volume centers. This article describes VATS pneumonectomy with a focus on the surgical technique.