[Guidelines in minimal invasive surgery in oncologic thoracic surgery]

Due to the development of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) over the past 7 years, many procedures are now technically feasible. A side from indication in benign disease, VATS became important for the presectional staging of lung cancer, the biopsy of pulmonary lesions and extrapulmonary intrathoracic tumors, wedge resections of isolated pulmonary nodules and the treatment of pleural or pericardial effusions, as pleurodesis and pericardial window. The current status of VATS metastasectomy, lobectomy and pneumonectomy is controversial and there are no clear indications for VATS lobectomy or pneumonectomy.