Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the diagnosis of lung disease. The Cretan experience.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been recently utilised in the diagnosis and management of thoracic diseases. In this report we reviewed our VATS experience for biopsy of diffuse or localised lung diseases in 51 cases focusing on indications, operative procedures, complications or failures rates.

Patients and methods: Over the last 5 years we performed 51 VATS procedures for diagnostic purposes in 32 men and 19 women. The specific indications for VATS were lung biopsy for undiagnosed diffuse or localised lung disease. In all patients the postoperative pain was controlled with the use of non-narcotic analgesics and was measured according the visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results: There was no operative mortality. Postoperative non-fatal complications were seen in 3 cases (6%). The overall median duration of chest tube drainage was 2 days and the mean postoperative stay 3 days. In the diffuse lung disease a tissue diagnosis was obtained in all the cases. Conversion to thoracotomy was needed in 1 case (2%), owing to extensive adhesions. All patients expressed a postoperative pain control effect of less than 50% of VAS.

Conclusions: VATS should be considered as a safe and effective procedure, with low postoperative pain and morbidity. Should be recommended in patients who require a histological diagnosis of diffuse or localised lung diseases.