Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery first rib resection-surgical technique.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Thoracic Surgery
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) involves compression of nerves or vessels in the thoracic outlet.
• Neurogenic TOS (NTOS) is the most common form (95%), while venous (VTOS) and arterial (ATOS) forms are rarer.
• Surgical decompression is the standard for TOS when conservative treatments fail.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and illustrate a robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) technique for first rib resection.
• To highlight the advantages of RATS over traditional open surgical approaches for TOS.

Main Methods:

• The study details a step-by-step RATS procedure for first rib resection.
• Minimally invasive techniques, including VATS and RATS, are increasingly used, replacing open surgeries.
• RATS offers improved visualization, instrument maneuverability, and surgeon comfort.

Main Results:

• RATS provides enhanced magnification and precision in narrow anatomical spaces.
• Minimally invasive techniques generally lead to excellent outcomes with reduced morbidity.
• Uniportal RATS (uRATS) is a recent advancement applied to first rib resection.

Conclusions:

• Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) represents a significant advancement in TOS treatment.
• RATS offers potential benefits over open surgery, including reduced complications and improved surgical precision.
• This technique manual aims to guide surgeons in performing RATS first rib resection.