Thoracoscopy for minimally invasive thoracic spine surgery.
Thoracoscopy has been used worldwide for many years by thoracic surgeons. Despite a long learning curve and technical demands of the procedure, thoracoscopy has several advantages, including better cosmesis, adequate exposure to all levels of the thoracic spine from T2 to L 1, better illumination and magnification at the site of surgery, less damage to the tissue adjacent to the surgical field, less morbidity when compared with standard thoracotomy in terms of respiratory problems, pain, blood loss, muscle and chest wall damages, consequent shorter recovery time, less postoperative pulmonary function impairment, and shorter hospitalization. Good results at short- and medium-term follow-up need to be confirmed at long-term follow-up.
Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Biomedico University, Via Alvaro Del Portillo, 200, 00128 Trigoria, Rome, Italy.
Umile Giuseppe
UG
Longo
Nicola
N
Papapietro
Nicola
N
Maffulli
Vincenzo
V
Denaro
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010017:Osteoma, Osteoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed