OBJECTIVE Computer (robotic) enhancement has been used to facilitate simple thoracoscopic procedures such as internal mammary artery (IMA) mobilization. This report describes the use of robotic technology in advanced thoracoscopic procedures. METHODS Ten patients underwent advanced thoracoscopic procedures utilizing the Da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA) ...

BACKGROUND Thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer performed using two-lung ventilation in the prone position has many advantages, such as convenient anesthesia induction and maintenance, and good oxygenation. We examined the safety of surgery and anesthetic management by following chronological changes in intraoperative respiration and hemodynamics. METHODS We focused on the most r...

Objective: To investigate clinical effect of two-ports thoracoscopic pulmonary lobectomy and systemic lymphadenectomy in curing bronchogenic carcinoma well. Background: Single-port and multiple-ports thoracoscopic surgery treating lung cancer were reported more. Each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages, and now two-ports thoracoscopic surgery treating lung cancer is more widely u...

OBJECTIVE To assess quality of life before and after thoracoscopic sympathectomy for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis. METHODS we conducted an observational, analytical, cross-sectional and quantitative study. We evaluated patients undergoing thoracoscopic sympathectomy for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, primary palmar hyperhidrosis, and axillary hyperhidrosis associated with palmar one. W...

Adults who have undergone surgical repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia have a prolonged illness. They usually have severe adhesions around the intrathoracic hernial sac; therefore, the adhesion itself as well as misidentification of the hernial defect can make surgical repair difficult, even in open surgery. Here, we present the successful video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical repairs of ...

We report a case of a 62-year-old woman with primary leiomyosarcoma of the chest wall which was successfully resected under the video-assisted thoracoscopic approach. The disease was found during the treatment for a malignant melanoma of the left heel. On the preoperative CT images, the lesion was suspected to be a metastasis of the malignant melanoma. The thoracoscopic surgery revealed that th...

OBJECTIVE We evaluate the clinical results of thoracoscopic T3-4 sympathicotomy for axillary osmidrosis. METHODS From July 1995 to June 2001, 262 patients (208 females, 54 males) with axillary osmidrosis have been treated by thoracoscopic T3-4 sympathicotomy. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 10 months (average 42 months). The patients were evaluated by telephone or mail question...

General anesthesia is the main strategy for almost all thoracic surgeries. However, a growing body of literature has reported successful cases of non-intubated thoracic surgery with regional anesthesia. This alternative strategy not only prevents complications related to general anesthesia, such as lung injury, incomplete re-expansion and intubation related problems, but also accords with trend...

Several options are available for treatment of malignant pleural effusions in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Repeat thoracentesis may be appropriate for the patient with limited survival and a slowly recurrent effusion. Pleurodesis with a sclerosing agent administered via a chest tube is the most widely used therapy, though controversy exists as to which drug produces the best result...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Thoracoscopic-assisted ventral stabilisation for thoracolumbar fractures has been shown to be associated with decreased recovery time and less morbidity when compared with open procedures. However, there are a limited number of studies evaluating late clinical and radiological results after thoracoscopic spinal surgery. METHODS We performed an analysis of the late outco...