title: Minimally invasive anterior spinal exposure and release in children with scoliosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The early experience with thoracoscopy in children has involved the diagnosis and treatment of pleural and pulmonary diseases. Recent advances have allowed surgeons to perform more complex procedures through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), potentially decreasing the pain and pulmonary impairment associated with an open thoracotomy. The authors report their initial experience with thoracoscopic assisted anterior spinal exposure and release as part of the treatment for children with spinal deformities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review of five children who underwent VATS for anterior spinal surgery between June 1995 and January 1997 was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ages of the patients ranged from 11 to 16 years with a mean of 13.4 years. All patients had an anterior spinal release with or without fusion and same-day posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation. VATS was successfully completed in all patients without major morbidity and no mortality. The average operative time for the anterior portion of the procedure was 305 minutes, and a mean of 7 disc levels were released. Mean length of chest tube drainage and hospitalization were 6.8 and 8.6 days, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The objectives of anterior exposure for spinal surgery in children can safely and effectively be accomplished using minimally invasive surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO, USA.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Kokoska
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Silen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020706:Laparoscopes; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D020708:Thoracoscopes; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording