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Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is surgery performed with the use of a thorascope (a small tube with an eyepiece that the surgeon looks through) and/or an endoscope (a small video camera) to depict structures inside the chest.
The use of an endoscope to see allows the surgeon to make small incisions to perform operations that have traditionally been performed through large thoracotomy incisions. Surgery is performed in an operating room and patients must be under general anesthesia.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) helps to avoid the more invasive, traditional thoracotomy or sternotomy, diminishes the patient’s pain and trauma to the body, and significantly reduces the hospital stay.
Pediatric thoracic surgeons perform VATS surgery.
In VATS procedures: