About This Procedure
What is VATS?
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, or VATS, is a type of lung surgery used to remove cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. The surgeon makes small incisions in the side of the chest and inserts a small video camera to locate and remove the tumor. The advantage of this technique is faster recovery for the patient. VATS can remove small portions or segments of the lung (wedge resections or segmentectomies) or a lobe (lobectomy — the standard operation for lung cancer). Not all tumors can be removed safely with the minimally invasive VATS approach; in those cases, a larger incision (thoracotomy) may be needed.
Who Is a Candidate?
Procedures we perform using VATS.
-
Lung cancer biopsy & resection
Diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other chest cancers.
-
Esophagus surgery
Esophagectomy via minimally invasive approach.
-
Hiatal hernia repair
Repair of hiatal hernias through small incisions.
-
Thymectomy & lung volume reduction
Thymus gland removal and lung volume reduction surgery.