Video-assisted thoracoscopic removal of pulmonary hydatid cysts.
OBJECTIVE
Pulmonary hydatid disease is a parasitic disease with a high prevalence in low-middle income countries. We report four patients who were treated surgically using video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS).


METHODS
All patients were diagnosed with clinical and radiological findings on chest X-ray and computed tomography. Complete thoracoscopic removal by cystotomy and capitonnage was done in all four patients. The procedure included a standard thoracoscopy port incision and a 2-3 cm utility skin incision that was placed just superior to the cystic lesion. In the first case, a small-sized rib separator was used. The following three cases were operated without placing a rib separator on the utility incision. Conversion to open thoracotomy was not required.


RESULTS
The average duration of the procedure was 90 min, and the average length of hospital stay was 4 days. No complications were observed after the thoracoscopic removal. At mean follow-up of 4 months, all patients were asymptomatic.


CONCLUSIONS
VATS removal of the hydatid cysts can be done successfully in peripherally located cysts.
Department of Thoracic Surgery,  Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul,  Turkey.
Levent
L
Alpay
Tunc
T
Lacin
Cansel
C
Atinkaya
Hakan
H
Kıral
Mine
M
Demir
Volkan
V
Baysungur
Erdal
E
Okur
Irfan
I
Yalcınkaya
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D061646:Operative Time; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome