title: Current status of thoracoscopic lung volume reduction.
abstract: Surgical therapy has recently been reintroduced for the treatment of emphysema, and a number of investigators have used video-assisted thoracic surgical (VATS) techniques to accomplish lung volume reduction. The published reports differ with regard to patient selection, preoperative preparation, operative approach, and surgical technique. The results of these reports are reviewed and compared. Thoracoscopic lung volume reduction appears to be a useful part of the surgeon's armamentarium in managing patients with severe pulmonary emphysema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, 3635 Vista Avenue at Grand Boulevard, PO Box 15250, St. Louis, Missouri 63110-0250, USA.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Krucylak
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Naunheim
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome