title: Efficacy of minimally invasive surgery in diagnosis of interstitial lung disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracic surgery in reaching a specific diagnosis in patients with interstitial lung disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients with interstitial lung disease (19 males, 19 females; mean age 47.73 years) who had undergone video-assisted thoracic surgery at Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, between 2010 and 2013 were evaluated retrospectively in this study. Preoperative evaluations including cardiac and pulmonary assessments were performed. Data were recorded in forms prepared for this study and included age, sex, symptoms, imaging findings, operation duration, chest drain withdrawal time, postoperative hospital stay, hospital mortality, and specific diagnosis of the disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common symptom was dyspnea (38 patients, 100%). The most common computed tomography finding was a reticular pattern (30 patients, 78.94%). Surgery complications included persistent air leak in 3 (7.9%) cases and wound infection in 2 (5.26%). There was no hospital death and no need for reoperation. The average of operative time was 50 min. The mean time for chest drain withdrawal and postoperative hospitalization was 4 and 5 days, respectively. The most common diagnoses were usual interstitial pneumonia in 9 (23.68%) patients and sarcoidosis in 6 (15.78%). A specific diagnosis was not reached in 2/38 (5.26%) patients after video-assisted thoracic surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Video-assisted thoracic surgery is a highly effective and safe method for establishing a specific diagnosis in patients with interstitial lung disease.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Emam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplant Research Center, Emam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ziaollah
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Haghi
authors.affiliation: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Davood
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Attaran
authors.affiliation: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Mohammad
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hashem Asnaashari
authors.affiliation: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Basiri
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Faculty of medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran ctstrc@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Ata'ollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajabnejad
mesh_terms: D057868:Anastomotic Leak / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: Biopsy; Lung diseases; Thoracic surgery; interstitial; video-assisted