REVOLUTIONIZING THORACIC SURGERY WITH VATS

Explore how VATS is transforming thoracic surgery with precision, minimal trauma, and rapid recovery.

- Dr Arjun Goel

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to diagnose and treat diseases of the chest. Unlike traditional open surgery, VATS involves making small incisions through which a thoracoscope and surgical instruments are inserted. This approach provides a magnified view of the chest cavity, allowing surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater precision and minimal trauma to the patient.

VATS is employed to treat a range of thoracic conditions, including lung cancer (for lobectomies and segmentectomies), thymus gland tumors (thymomas, and thymic carcinomas), pleural diseases (such as pleural effusions, empyema, and pleural thickening), and pneumothorax (for treatment and prevention). It is also used for esophageal disorders (including esophagectomy for esophageal cancer) and to obtain biopsies from the lung, pleura, or mediastinum.

UNDERSTANDING VATS SURGERY WITH AN EXAMPLE

A patient presented with a massive thymus tumor measuring 12-15 cm. This tumor size is exceptionally large for thymus tumors, which are rare to begin with. Typically, large thymus tumors are associated with Myasthenia Gravis, a condition characterized by muscle weakness and drooping eyelids. However, this patient exhibited only generalized, non-specific symptoms such as chest pain and breathlessness, without any signs of Myasthenia Gravis.