Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy

Over the past two decades, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has revolutionized the way thoracic surgeons diagnose and treat lung diseases. The major advance in VATS procedures is related to the major pulmonary resections. The best VATS technique for lobectomy has not been well defined yet. Most of the authors describe the VATS approach to lobectomy via 3 to 4 incisions but the surgery can be performed by only one incision with similar outcomes. This single incision is the same as we normally use for VATS lobectomies performed by double or triple port technique with no rib spreading. As our experience with VATS lobectomy has grown, we have gradually improved the technique for a less invasive approach. Consequently the greater the experience we gained, the more complex the cases we performed were, hence expanding the indications for single-incision thoracoscopic lobectomy.