title: Video-assisted thoracoscopic management of mediastinal tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many successful attempts at removing benign mediastinal tumors with the video-assisted thoracoscopic technique have been reported, but no formal report has been published regarding malignant mediastinal tumors treated with this technique. We report our preliminary experience with video-assisted thoracoscopic removal of mediastinal tumors, benign or malignant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven patients with mediastinal tumors treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery were reviewed from January 1999 to April 2000. Their tumor pathologies included benign or malignant thymoma, neurilemmoma, and teratoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean operation time was 240 minutes. The mean blood loss was 173 mL. The mean insertion time of chest tubes was 3 days. The mean admission time was 6 days. No deaths occurred during the study. Morbidity occurred in 2 patients. No tumor recurrence has been seen during the mean follow-up of 7 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short-term results support the feasibility of VATS in managing technically resectable mediastinal tumors. Yet the long-term prognosis for the malignant lesions is deferred and needs further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China. yujench@ms15.hinet.net
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods; D013945:Thymoma / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery