What's new in general thoracic surgery

THIS FAST YEAR has seen a number of exciting new developments in the field of general thoracic surgery. The initial development and results of lung volume reduction surgery combined with improved results in pulmonary transplantation have resulted in an increased interest in operations for generalized emphysema. Video-thoracoscopic approaches have become fairly well standardized in the treatment of a number of diseases. This past year has shown significant developments in neoadjunctive therapy for patients with stage IIIA carcinoma of the lung as well as induction therapy for patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. An increasing need for specialists in the field of general thoracic surgery, associated with the declining cardiac surgical caseload, has resulted in renewed interest in general thoracic surgery. These developments continue to make the subspecialty of general thoracic surgery an exciting and growing field.