title: A preliminary report on the feasibility of single-port thoracoscopic surgery for diaphragm plication in the treatment of diaphragm eventration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thoracoscopic surgery is a popular widely used surgical technique in the treatment of common chest conditions. Conventional thoracoscopic surgery utilizes multiple small wounds for carrying out the procedure. Many procedures can also be performed with a single small port wound. In this study, we performed diaphragm plication using the techniques of single-port thoracoscopic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 1st, 2008 to December 31th, 2011, there were 21 patients admitted to our hospital due to diaphragm eventration. All of them underwent diaphragm plication. The initial 11 patients underwent two-port thoracoscopic surgery while the subsequent 10 patients underwent single-port thoracoscopic surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The side of diaphragm eventration was on the left in all of the cases. The mean operative time was 87.3 minutes and the mean follow-up time was 17 months. There was no procedure-related complication or mortality. The time required for surgery and the postoperative pain scores were similar in the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single-port thoracoscopic surgery for diaphragm plication is a safe procedure. It can serve as an alternative to conventional thoracoscopic approaches to diaphragm surgery.
authors.forename: Hsin-Hung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Graduate institute of mechanical and electrical engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan. musclenet2003@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Chih-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hung-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tzu-Ti
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Shih-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000601:surgery*; D003965:Diaphragmatic Eventration / Q000601:surgery*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*