[Clinical application of 2 mm micro-thoracoscopic surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical safety and efficacy of micro-thoracoscopic surgery.


METHODS
From July 1996 to July 1997, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 47 patients by using 2 mm microthoracoscope. There were 36 males and 11 females. Their age ranged from 40 to 75 years with a mean age of 56.7 years. Surgical procedures included bullectomy (16 patients), wedge resection (3), lung cancer staging (4), lobectomy (2), exploration (15), and resection of mediastinal tumor (2), esophagectomy (1) and repair of pneumothorax (4). Local anesthesia was employed in 18 patients and general anesthesia with double lumen endotracheal tube in 29.


RESULTS
There were no operative mortality and postoperative complications.


CONCLUSIONS
2 mm micro-thoracoscopic surgery could be used in the management of a variety of thoracic conditions. It may be of significant value for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, but the further study for this new technique is required to determine its safety and efficacy.
He
J
J
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510120.
Yang
Y
Y
Yin
W
W
Wei
B
B
Chen
M
M
Zeng
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D020708:Thoracoscopes; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*