Minimally invasive surgery inside the chest through small incisions and a camera — for selected lung, thymus, oesophageal and chest-wall conditions.
What is vats (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery)?
Minimally invasive surgery inside the chest through small incisions and a camera — for selected lung, thymus, oesophageal and chest-wall conditions.
Approach
Keyhole chest surgery
Used for
Lung Cancer, Thymus Cancer (Thymoma), Stomach & Esophageal Cancer, Mesothelioma
Where
Vesu, Surat
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lets the surgeon operate inside the chest through a few small incisions, guided by a high-definition camera, instead of spreading the ribs through a large opening.
It can be used for biopsy and staging, removal of lung and mediastinal tumours such as thymomas, and the chest part of oesophageal cancer surgery — when the tumour and anatomy are suitable.
As with every approach, suitability is decided after full evaluation; open surgery remains the right choice for some cases.
Potential benefits
No rib spreading — often less pain after surgery
Smaller scars and a potentially shorter hospital stay
Earlier mobilisation and return to normal breathing
Important to know
Depends on tumour size, location and lung function
May be converted to open surgery if safer during the operation
Frequently asked
Questions patients ask
For suitable patients, VATS achieves the same cancer operation through smaller incisions. Whether it is appropriate is decided individually after imaging and evaluation.
Where it applies
This approach may be considered for cancers such as these — always after individual evaluation.
