title: Thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary metastases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the use of thoracoscopic techniques to achieve parenchymal sparing wedge resection of peripheral lung lesions in patients with a history of malignancy, and to describe the morbidity, mortality, and hospital course associated with this approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a history of malignancy and lesions on computerized tomography in the outer one third of the lung parenchyma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histologic analysis of resected lung lesions, operative findings, operative time, duration of chest tube drainage and hospital stay, operative morbidity, and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one thoracoscopic resections of pulmonary parenchymal lesions were performed on 15 patients. All peripheral lesions identified by computerized tomography were found at thoracoscopy and successfully resected with the Nd:YAG laser (n = 7), an endoscopic stapler (n = 10), or both (n = 4). The mean diameter of the lesions was 0.8 cm (range 0.2 to 1.5 cm). Histologic analysis revealed metastatic disease in 13 patients and benign disease in 2 patients. All resection margins were free of tumor. The mean duration of chest tube drainage and postoperative hospital stay were 1.8 +/- 0.1 and 3.3 +/- 0.1 days, respectively. Mean operative time was 111 min (range 45 to 155 min). One patient who underwent a right thoracoscopic resection developed a transient left vocal cord paresis. There were no other complications and no deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracoscopy was successful in identifying peripheral lung lesions and allowed for parenchymal sparing resection identical in extent to that performed with open approaches. For select patients with peripheral lung nodules felt to be metastases, thoracoscopic resection may result in reduced morbidity, cost, hospital stay and allow for more rapid institution of therapy for the primary disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Ferson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Landreneau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed