title: A technical report on video-assisted thoracoscopy in thoracic spinal surgery. Preliminary description.
abstract: METHODS
  This report is a preliminary description of the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal procedures that otherwise require open thoracotomy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This report sought to describe the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal procedures that otherwise require open thoracotomy.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In a landmark study that compared video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for peripheral lung lesions with thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery reduced postoperative pain, improved early shoulder girdle function, and shortened hospital stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 12 thoracic spinal patients (herniated nucleus pulposus, infection, tumor, or spinal deformity) and is described in detail in this report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal surgery resulted in little postoperative pain, short intensive care unit and hospital stays, and little or no morbidity. In the short follow-up period, there was no post-thoracotomy pain syndrome nor neurologic sequelae in these patients. Operative time decreased dramatically as experience was gained with the procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given consistently improving surgical skills, a number of thoracic spinal procedures using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, including thoracic discectomy, internal rib thoracoplasty, anterior osteotomy, corpectomy, and fusion, can be performed safely with no additional surgical time or risk to the patient.
authors.affiliation: Texas Back Institute Research Foundation, Plano, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Regan
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Picetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013690:Television; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*