title: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for malignant pleural effusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural effusions (MPE) and to assess the results and complications of the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 61 patients with the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion were assessed retrospectively between 2004 - 2010, 25 women (40.9%) and 36 men (59.1%), with an age range of 18-78 (mean: 61.3). Video-thoracoscopic surgery was performed under general anesthesia or with local anesthesia in sedated patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No intraoperative complications were observed. In 6 cases, prolonged air leak developed. Pleurodesis was successfully implemented in malignant cases. The chest tube was removed when the amount of fluid was less 50 cc/24 h. The duration of drainage was significantly shorter in patients in whom VATS was performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that VATS is an effective method in the diagnosis and palliative treatment of cases with malignant pleural effusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sayir
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cobanoglu
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mergan
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D010166:Palliative Care; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D018700:Pleurodesis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult