[Taking advantage of thoracoscopic techniques for diagnosis and treatment of thoracic diseases]

The authors report their experience in VATS technique employed in the diagnosis and treatment of pleural and mediastinal diseases and lung tumors. Between 1992 and 1996, 50 thoracoscopic procedures were carried out in 48 patients. The following operations were performed: six thoracic sympathectomies, two cases of closing bronchial stump fistulas, six cases of successfully treated spontaneous pneumothorax. In eight cases (16.3%) it was necessary to convert this procedure into thoracotomy because of pleural adhesions. The diagnostic thoracoscopies (35 cases) included: mediastinal and lung tumor biopsies, taking up samples of pleural exudate. There were no complications connected with these procedures. We consider thoracoscopic technique to be a suitable method for the diagnosis and treatment of mediastinal and pleural lesions.