Thoracoscopic exposure of intervertebral discs

Video-assisted thoracic surgical techniques provide access to the anterior thoracic spine without the morbidity of open thoracotomy. Improved diagnostic methods now give better awareness of the incidence and clinical significance of thoracic herniated nucleus pulposus. We present video-assisted thoracic surgical exposure techniques that have been used successfully to treat thoracic disc disease from T-2 to T-12.