title: Role of videoendoscopy in pulmonary surgery: present experience.
abstract: Videothoracoscopic techniques were utilized in managing 88 consecutive patients. The series was composed of 36 patients with pneumothorax, 44 cases of single and 9 of multiple pulmonary nodules and 1 patient with diffuse lung disease. In 14 cases (15.9%) conversion to open thoracotomy was necessary while in the remaining 74 patients the procedure (30 blebectomies, 2 bullectomies, 37 wedge resections, 6 lobectomies and one multiple biopsies) were carried out as planned. In each lobectomy and in six wedge resections an accessory small incision was necessary; we consider only this video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Benign disease, aside from the blebs and bullae, was found in 12 cases of solitary pulmonary nodules and in 1 case of multiple lesions, while malignant lesions were detected in 31 patients. Primary carcinoma was diagnosed in nine cases after a wedge resection had been performed on a suspicious solitary nodule. In two of these wedge resection had to suffice because of poor lung function, while in the remaining seven cases, a lobectomy was carried out through an open thoracotomy in two patients, and in five cases VATS was attempted successfully in four, while in one case a formal thoracotomy was necessary due to bleeding. Solitary metastases were found in 14 patients and were managed by 12 wedge resections and 2 lobectomies. Seventy-one patients (97.3%) had an uneventful postoperative course while 2 (2.7%) had only minor complications. No recurrences were observed, however follow-up is limited. Videothoracoscopy techniques are very useful and are good alternatives to conventional thoracotomy in managing cases of pneumothorax, benign pulmonary lesions and in taking biopsies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: 1st Surgical Department, S. Maria delle Croci Hospital, Ravenna, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Solaini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagioni
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Grandi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000601:surgery; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014741:Video Recording