Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The burden of respiratory and upper-gastrointestinal diseases especially affects low- and middle-income countries. Five billion people lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care, including thoracic surgical care. Minimally invasive thoracic surgery (MITS) has been shown to reduce complications, shorten hospital lengths of stay, and minimize health care costs, thereby enabling patients to pay less out-of-pocket and/or limit time away from work and families. Experiences with MITS exist but are limited in low- and middle-income countries; professional societies, academic institutions, policymakers, and industry can facilitate scale-up of MITS by increasing financing, expanding surgical training, and optimizing surgical supply chains.