The Role of VATS in Lung Cancer Surgery: Current Status and Prospects for Development

TL;DR

VATS has become a standard and effective minimally invasive surgical method for lung cancer, offering safety and comparable results to traditional techniques.

Contribution

The paper highlights the evolution and current acceptance of VATS in lung cancer surgery despite initial debates.

Findings

VATS is now widely accepted for early-stage lung cancer surgery.

VATS outcomes are not inferior to traditional thoracotomy for cancer surgery.

Improvements in equipment and technique have enhanced VATS application.

Abstract

Since the introduction of anatomic lung resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) 20 years ago, VATS has experienced major advances in both equipment and technique, introducing a technical challenge in the surgical treatment of both benign and malignant lung disease. The demonstrated safety, decreased morbidity, and equivalent efficacy of this minimally invasive technique have led to the acceptance of VATS as a standard surgical modality for early-stage lung cancer and increasing application to more advanced disease. Formerly there was much debate about the feasibility of the technique in cancer surgery and proper lymph node handling. Although there is a lack of proper randomized studies, it is now generally accepted that the outcome of a VATS procedure is at least not inferior to a resection via a traditional thoracotomy.